Years of service 1915-1946 Parents George W. Wickersham | Name Cornelius Wickersham Rank Brigadier General | |
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Born June 25, 1885
Greenwich, Connecticut ( 1885-06-25 ) Allegiance United States of America Commands held Commandant of School of Military Government Battles/wars Pancho Villa Expedition
World War I
Battle of Saint-Mihiel
World War II Awards Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Legion of Merit Died January 31, 1968, Mineola, New York, United States Battles and wars Pancho Villa Expedition, Battle of Saint-Mihiel, World War II Similar People George W Wickersham, Benjamin H Brewster, John N Mitchell, Herbert Brownell - Jr, James P McGranery | ||
Service/branch United States Army | ||
Cornelius Wendell Wickersham (June 25, 1885 – January 31, 1968) was a United States army officer, a lawyer and an award-winning author of philatelic literature.
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Lawyer
Cornelius Wendell Wickersham was born on June 25, 1885 in Greenwich, Connecticut. His father was George W. Wickersham, an American lawyer and future United States Attorney General.
In 1906 Wickersham graduated from Harvard University. In 1909 he obtained his degree from Harvard Law School. In 1914 he joined the Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, law firm in New York City in which his father was a partner.
He practiced law for a sixty-year career at Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft in New York City where his father worked. He ended a senior partner in that firm.
Military career
Enlisted in 1915 in the New York Cavalry and subsequently served with the 12th New York Infantry in the Mexican Border Campaign between 1916 and 1918. During World War I, Wickersham was sent to the Europe with IV Corps as Acting Assistant Chief of Staff. He distinguished himself during the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, when he was participated in the preparation and execution of the IV Corps attack. For this service, Major Wickersham was awarded with the Army Distinguished Service Medal.
In Inter-war era, Wickersham commanded 306th Infantry Regiment and the 153rd Infantry Brigade, units of the 77th Division in the Organized Reserve.
During World War II, in 1942, he became the first commandant and director of the School of Military Government, created in the University of Virginia.
Promoted up to Brigadier general, he was deputy to Lieutenant General Arthur Edward Grassett's, chief of European Allied Contact Section in the SHAEF staff of General Dwight Eisenhower.
After the war, he was appointed an assistant to Lieutenant General Lucius D. Clay, Deputy Military-Governor American Zone of Occupation Germany.
Wickersham was the first commander of the 42nd Infantry Division when it was reorganized as a National Guard formation following World War II. He was promoted to major general in the National Guard, and when he retired from the military in 1948, he was promoted to lieutenant general on the New York National Guard's retired list.
Philately
Thanks to his collection of postage stamps of Venezuela, he published The Early Stamps of Venezuela in 1956. He wrote articles about other countries at well in philatelic publications.
He was awarded the Lichtenstein Medal, which is given to a living individual for outstanding service to philately, by the Collectors Club of New York in 1959.
Governor of the Collectors Club, he was its President in 1956. He presided the Jury of the 1956 New York City international exhibition.
Brigadier General Cornelius W. Wickersham died on January 31, 1968, aged 82 in Mineola, New York.
Honors and awards
For his military services:
For his work in the field of philately, Wickersham was provided the following award: