Arthur Larson
Encyclopedia
Lewis Arthur Larson was an American lawyer
, law professor, United States Under Secretary of Labor from 1954 to 1956, director of the United States Information Agency
from 1956 to 1957, and Executive Assistant to the President for Speeches from 1957 to 1958.
Lewis Arthur Larson (his first name was never used) was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
. He was the third of five children of Lewis Larson and Anna Huseboe Larson, both of whom were second-generation Americans of Norwegian descent. Larson's father was a family court judge in Sioux Falls. Arthur Larson attended the public schools there and the local Lutheran college, Augustana
, and then studied law at Pembroke College, Oxford
(1932-1935) as a Rhodes Scholar
. He was married to Florence Newcomb on July 31, 1935.
He then worked as a lawyer for four years (1935-1939) with the firm of Quarles, Spence and Quarles in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
. When depression-era conditions led to his layoff in the summer of 1939, Larson found a job as assistant professor of law at the University of Tennessee
Law School in Knoxville, Tennessee
. While there, he and Florence Newcomb Larson had two children.
In 1941, during World War II
, Larson moved on to Washington, D.C.
, when he mostly worked as a lumber industry regulator at the Office of Price Administration
(OPA). In 1945 he became an assistant professor of law at Cornell Law School
. Over the next seven years he produced a legal treatise on the Law of Workmen's Compensation (Mathew Bender: 1952), which led to his being named dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law
in 1953.
Larson's growing fame as a moderately conservative expert on the law of the welfare state
and his strong public speaking abilities led to appointment as Under Secretary of Labor (in March 1954) in the Dwight Eisenhower administration. There he emerged as the most articulate spokesman for Eisenhower-era Republicanism. Larson's most popular book, A Republican Looks at His Party (Harper and Row: 1956) was personally endorsed by Eisenhower, who hired Larson to write speeches for him. Eisenhower named Larson the director of the United States Information Agency (USIA) in December 1956 and as his top speechwriter
in October 1957.
After leaving the Eisenhower administration in the fall of 1958, Larson became a law professor at Duke University
, where he specialized in international law
, arms control
and disarmament
efforts. He died there on March 27, 1993.
Larson's rise to fame from relative obscurity and then gradual return to it reflected the changing fortunes of moderate conservatives within the Republican Party and the nation during his lifetime.
Larson is criticized as a prototypical big government Republican in Barry Goldwater
's landmark small government Republican manifesto, The Conscience of a Conservative
. Larson's life and work are treated at length in a biography by David Stebenne, Modern Republican: Arthur Larson and the Eisenhower Years (Indiana University Press, 2006).
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, law professor, United States Under Secretary of Labor from 1954 to 1956, director of the United States Information Agency
United States Information Agency
The United States Information Agency , which existed from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to "public diplomacy". In 1999, USIA's broadcasting functions were moved to the newly created Broadcasting Board of Governors, and its exchange and non-broadcasting information functions were...
from 1956 to 1957, and Executive Assistant to the President for Speeches from 1957 to 1958.
Lewis Arthur Larson (his first name was never used) was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
. He was the third of five children of Lewis Larson and Anna Huseboe Larson, both of whom were second-generation Americans of Norwegian descent. Larson's father was a family court judge in Sioux Falls. Arthur Larson attended the public schools there and the local Lutheran college, Augustana
Augustana College (South Dakota)
Augustana College is a private, liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The campus makes the school the largest private university in South Dakota...
, and then studied law at Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
(1932-1935) as a Rhodes Scholar
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
. He was married to Florence Newcomb on July 31, 1935.
He then worked as a lawyer for four years (1935-1939) with the firm of Quarles, Spence and Quarles in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. When depression-era conditions led to his layoff in the summer of 1939, Larson found a job as assistant professor of law at the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
Law School in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. While there, he and Florence Newcomb Larson had two children.
In 1941, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Larson moved on to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, when he mostly worked as a lumber industry regulator at the Office of Price Administration
Office of Price Administration
The Office of Price Administration was established within the Office for Emergency Management of the United States government by Executive Order 8875 on August 28, 1941. The functions of the OPA was originally to control money and rents after the outbreak of World War II.President Franklin D...
(OPA). In 1945 he became an assistant professor of law at Cornell Law School
Cornell Law School
Cornell Law School, located in Ithaca, New York, is a graduate school of Cornell University and one of the five Ivy League law schools. The school confers three law degrees...
. Over the next seven years he produced a legal treatise on the Law of Workmen's Compensation (Mathew Bender: 1952), which led to his being named dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law
University of Pittsburgh School of Law
The University of Pittsburgh School of Law was founded in 1895, and became a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools in 1900...
in 1953.
Larson's growing fame as a moderately conservative expert on the law of the welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
and his strong public speaking abilities led to appointment as Under Secretary of Labor (in March 1954) in the Dwight Eisenhower administration. There he emerged as the most articulate spokesman for Eisenhower-era Republicanism. Larson's most popular book, A Republican Looks at His Party (Harper and Row: 1956) was personally endorsed by Eisenhower, who hired Larson to write speeches for him. Eisenhower named Larson the director of the United States Information Agency (USIA) in December 1956 and as his top speechwriter
Speechwriter
A speechwriter is a person who is hired to prepare and write speeches that will be delivered by another person. Speechwriters are used by many senior-level elected officials and executives in the government and private sectors.-Skills and training:...
in October 1957.
After leaving the Eisenhower administration in the fall of 1958, Larson became a law professor at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, where he specialized in international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
, arms control
Arms control
Arms control is an umbrella term for restrictions upon the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation, and usage of weapons, especially weapons of mass destruction...
and disarmament
Disarmament
Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms...
efforts. He died there on March 27, 1993.
Larson's rise to fame from relative obscurity and then gradual return to it reflected the changing fortunes of moderate conservatives within the Republican Party and the nation during his lifetime.
Larson is criticized as a prototypical big government Republican in Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
's landmark small government Republican manifesto, The Conscience of a Conservative
The Conscience of a Conservative
The Conscience of a Conservative is a book published under the name of Arizona Senator and 1964 Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater in 1960. The book reignited the American conservative movement and made Barry Goldwater a political star...
. Larson's life and work are treated at length in a biography by David Stebenne, Modern Republican: Arthur Larson and the Eisenhower Years (Indiana University Press, 2006).
External links
- Records and Papers of Arthur Larson, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
- Web page for the book Modern Republican: Arthur Larson and the Eisenhower Years (Indiana University Press, 2006)
- Larson's Worker's Compensation Pages
- 1983 Audio recording of a presentation by Arthur Larson on the Eisenhower Presidency
- Time Magazine, 1956: "The Authentic American Center" - about Arthur Larson and Eisenhower
- Time Magazine, 1958: Arthur's resignation from the Eisenhower Administration, and founding of the Rule of Law Center at Duke University
- Arthur Larson on the Mike Wallace Interview September 14, 1958