Profession Politician, Lawyer Preceded by Charles J. Bonaparte Name George Wickersham | Succeeded by James C. McReynolds Role Lawyer Spouse Mildred Wickersham | |
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Full Name George Woodward Wickersham Children Cornelius Wendell Wickersham Books The Changing Order: Essays on Government, Monopoly, and Education, Written During a Period of Readjustment Similar People Benjamin H Brewster, John N Mitchell, Herbert Brownell - Jr, James P McGranery, Benjamin Civiletti | ||
George Woodward Wickersham (September 19, 1858 – January 25, 1936) was an American lawyer and Attorney General of the United States in the administration of President William H. Taft. He was the father of Cornelius Wendell Wickersham, US Army Brigadier General and Lawyer.
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Early life
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wickersham graduated from the University of Pennsylvania.
Career
In 1883, Wickersham entered the old law firm of Strong and Cadwalader, and he became a partner four years later.
He held the office of Attorney General of the United States from 1909 to 1913, in the administration of President William Howard Taft. From 1914 to 1916, Wickersham served as president of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.
Wickersham was named by Woodrow Wilson to serve on the War Trade Board to Cuba soon after the United States entered World War I.
In 1929, Herbert Hoover named him to the National Commission on Law Observance and Enforcement, better known as the "Wickersham Commission" (also, the "Wickersham Committee" as William L. Marbury, Jr. described it in a 1935 letter seeking the support of U.S. Senator George L. P. Radcliffe for appointment of Alger Hiss, who had served on committee 1929-1930, to the U.S. Solicitor General's office.).
Wickersham served as president of the Council on Foreign Relations from 1933 to 1936.
Personal and death
Wickersham died in New York City in 1936 and was buried in Brookside Cemetery in Englewood, New Jersey.
Legacy
Since 1996, the Friends of the Law Library of the Library of Congress have presented an annual award named for Wickersham.