My favorite story on this point is about John Marshall and John Adams. With the Federalist ship sinking, Adams had to work hard to persuade Marshall, his secretary of state and one of the few men he could trust, to take the job. Marshall had already turned down an earlier offer of an associate position.
Forty years ago, President Johnson nominated his longtime attorney and confidant to replace Associate Justice Arthur Goldberg. Fortas demurred, but Johnson was not deterred. While he considered several other candidates, including a number of Republicans, Johnson did not stop pressuring Fortas and eventually got his man.