Neil Gorsuch, Donald Trump's nomination to replace the late Antonin Scalia in the US Supreme Court, was the leader of a student group called the Fascism Forever Club during his high school days, according to reports.

The Colorado judge was the president of the right-wing club during his time at the prestigious Georgetown Preparatory school in the 1980s.

According to his yearbook, the Fascism Forever Club was set up to oppose the "liberal" views of the school's administration, reported the Daily Mail.

A description in the yearbook added: "In political circles, our tireless President Gorsuch's 'Fascism Forever Club' happily jerked its knees against the increasingly 'left-wing' tendencies of the faculty."

Yearbook photos of the 49-year-old Gorsuch, the youngest Supreme Court nominee since 43-year-old Justice Clarence Thomas in 1991, also show him reading William F Buckley's influential 1959 conservative book Up From Liberalism.

During his time at the school, Gorsuch also co-founded a magazine called The Morningside Review, and The Federalist newspaper, both of which were set up to oppose the liberal views at Georgetown at the time.

Images of Gorsuch's yearbook photo, which included a quote from former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, have previously spread on social media.

Gorsuch graduation photo, Columbia University 1988. Interesting choice of quote. pic.twitter.com/sDD3dFS4EN — Beth Fouhy (@bfouhy) February 1, 2017

During his speech following Trump's nomination, Gorsuch said he was "acutely aware of my own imperfections". He added: "I pledge that if I am confirmed I will do all my powers permit to be a faithful servant of the Constitution and laws of this great country."

According to Georgetown Preparatory School's website, Gorsuch graduated in 1985 after serving as President-of-the-Yard, the student body president, as a senior. He also participated in the forensics and international relations clubs.

Following his nomination, Rev Scott R Pilarz, Georgetown Prep's president, said: "We are proud to have a son of Georgetown Preparatory School, a Catholic, Jesuit school founded the same year the United States Supreme Court was established, nominated to the nation's highest court. All of us at Prep send our prayers and best wishes."

Obama's choice to replace Scalia, Merrick Garland, was blocked by Senate Republicans led by Mitch McConnell.