Griffin Bell
Encyclopedia
Griffin Boyette Bell was an American lawyer and former Attorney General
. He served as the nation's 72nd Attorney General during the Jimmy Carter
administration. He was an attorney with the law firm
King & Spalding
.
, He attended several public schools before enrolling at the Georgia Southwestern College and then at the Walter F. George School of Law
at Mercer University
. During World War II
, Bell served in the United States Army
Quartermaster Corps from 1942 to 1946. Bell served as city attorney of Warner Robins, Georgia
while still in school. He practiced law at King & Spalding
in Georgia
from 1948 to 1961. He returned to the firm before and after his service as the United States Attorney General. Bell handled many high profile cases after leaving office, such as the internal investigation concerning the cash management practices of E. F. Hutton & Co.
.
John F. Kennedy
appointed Bell, who had been the co-chairman of Kennedy's presidential campaign in Georgia, to the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
in 1961. He served for more than fourteen years on the Fifth Circuit. He often played an instrumental role in mediating disputes between the court's factions during the peak of the American Civil Rights Movement.
He resigned from the court in March 1976 to resume his law practice at King & Spalding. In December 1976, President Jimmy Carter
nominated him to become the 72nd United States Attorney General. He served until August 1979. His Watergate
-era nomination was initially controversial because he was a Southerner and a personal friend of the President. However, by the time he left office, Bell had allayed the concerns and won the praise of most of his critics in the United States Senate
and the media. He was credited with bringing needed independence and professionalism to the Department of Justice. Unprecedented and not duplicated since, Bell posted publicly every day his third party contacts, including meetings and calls with the White House
, members of Congress, or other non-Justice Department individuals, to rebuild confidence in the Department of Justice.
Bell led the effort to pass the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in 1978. The Carter administration, advised by Bell, greatly increased the number of women and minorities serving on the federal bench. Bell recruited Wade McCree, an African American then serving as a judge on the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
, to serve as United States Solicitor General
, and Drew S. Days, III
, an African American lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund he had admired in oral arguments before him, to head the Civil Rights Division. Bell successfully led the negotiations to divide his former appellate court, the Fifth Circuit (spanning from Georgia
to Texas
) into two courts: a new Fifth Circuit based in New Orleans and an Eleventh Circuit
based in Atlanta. Bell also led efforts to professionalize the Federal Bureau of Investigation
after Watergate and recruited another federal appellate judge to recommend to the President as Director, Judge William Webster
of the Eighth Circuit
. After Bell resigned as Attorney General in August 1979, President Carter thereafter appointed him as Special Ambassador to the Helsinki Convention
.
From 1985 to 1987, Bell served as a member of the U.S. Secretary of State's Advisory Committee on South Africa. In 1989, he was appointed Vice Chairman of President George H. W. Bush
's Commission on Federal Ethics Law Reform
. During the Iran-Contra affair
investigation, he was counsel to President George H.W. Bush. As a lawyer during this period, he specialized in corporate internal investigations, many that were high-profile, like that for E.F. Hutton following federal indictments for its cash management practices.
In September 2004 he was appointed the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Military Commission Review
.
Bell was replaced by Judge Frank J. Williams
in July 2007, when the first two cases were appealed to the Court, due to ill health.
. It was maintained that he slipped supplies of the potent sausage into the White House to President Carter through their mutual close friend, Charles Kirbo
.
The Alfalfa Club is a century-old Washington institution of social, political and business America. At its annual dinner in 1979, Bell was the Alfalfa nominee for President of the United States and quipped as he began his acceptance speech that he hoped that President Carter would now understand the full meaning of his warning that he would not serve as Attorney General during the President's re-election campaign. Bell (as well as Jimmy Carter
are both members of the Gridiron Secret Society
.
Bell was the first cabinet
official named in Mr. Richard Blackwell
's list of best dressed Americans in 1978, citing the former Attorney General's penchant for wide, sleek, bold-colored ties that were emblematic of mid-to-late 1970s fashion.
and had been suffering from long-term kidney disease. Georgia
governor Sonny Perdue
ordered the flag of the United States flown at half-staff in the state of Georgia on January 7, 2009, the day of Bell's funeral. He is buried in Americus' Oak Grove Cemetery, Section N3-South, where his tombstone bears the inscription "Citizen Soldier, Trial Lawyer, Federal Appellate Judge, Attorney General of the United States."
in recognition of his achievements and appreciation for his efforts to promote the interests of his alma mater.
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
. He served as the nation's 72nd Attorney General during the Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
administration. He was an attorney with the law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
King & Spalding
King & Spalding
King & Spalding LLP is an American law firm with 125 years of service. It was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1885 by Alexander C. King and Jack Spalding. The firm has expanded nationally, with offices in Austin, Charlotte, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C...
.
Early years and legal practice
Bell was born in Americus, GeorgiaAmericus, Georgia
-Early years:Americus, Georgia was named and chartered by Sen. Lovett B. Smith in 1832.For its first two decades, Americus was a small courthouse town. The arrival of the railroad in 1854 and, three decades later, local attorney Samuel H. Hawkins' construction of the only privately financed...
, He attended several public schools before enrolling at the Georgia Southwestern College and then at the Walter F. George School of Law
Walter F. George School of Law
The Walter F. George School of Law of Mercer University, founded in 1873, is one of the oldest law schools in the United States and is the second oldest of Mercer's eleven colleges and schools. The School of Law, with approximately 420 students, is located in Macon, Georgia on its own campus one...
at Mercer University
Mercer University
Mercer University is an independent, private, coeducational university with a Baptist heritage located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Mercer is the only university of its size in the United States that offers programs in eleven diversified fields of study: liberal arts, business, education, music,...
. 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...
, Bell served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Quartermaster Corps from 1942 to 1946. Bell served as city attorney of Warner Robins, Georgia
Warner Robins, Georgia
Warner Robins is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located primarily in Houston County with a small portion in Peach County. The city has its own metropolitan statistical area . As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 48,804...
while still in school. He practiced law at King & Spalding
King & Spalding
King & Spalding LLP is an American law firm with 125 years of service. It was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1885 by Alexander C. King and Jack Spalding. The firm has expanded nationally, with offices in Austin, Charlotte, Houston, New York, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Washington, D.C...
in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
from 1948 to 1961. He returned to the firm before and after his service as the United States Attorney General. Bell handled many high profile cases after leaving office, such as the internal investigation concerning the cash management practices of E. F. Hutton & Co.
E. F. Hutton & Co.
E. F. Hutton & Co. was an American stock brokerage firm founded in 1904 by Edward Francis Hutton, his brother Franklyn Laws Hutton, and later led by well known Wall Street trader Gerald M. Loeb. Under their leadership, Hutton became one of the most respected financial firms in the United States...
.
Political career
PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
appointed Bell, who had been the co-chairman of Kennedy's presidential campaign in Georgia, to the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Louisiana* Middle District of Louisiana...
in 1961. He served for more than fourteen years on the Fifth Circuit. He often played an instrumental role in mediating disputes between the court's factions during the peak of the American Civil Rights Movement.
He resigned from the court in March 1976 to resume his law practice at King & Spalding. In December 1976, President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
nominated him to become the 72nd United States Attorney General. He served until August 1979. His Watergate
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
-era nomination was initially controversial because he was a Southerner and a personal friend of the President. However, by the time he left office, Bell had allayed the concerns and won the praise of most of his critics in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and the media. He was credited with bringing needed independence and professionalism to the Department of Justice. Unprecedented and not duplicated since, Bell posted publicly every day his third party contacts, including meetings and calls with the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, members of Congress, or other non-Justice Department individuals, to rebuild confidence in the Department of Justice.
Bell led the effort to pass the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in 1978. The Carter administration, advised by Bell, greatly increased the number of women and minorities serving on the federal bench. Bell recruited Wade McCree, an African American then serving as a judge on the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Kentucky* Western District of Kentucky...
, to serve as United States Solicitor General
United States Solicitor General
The United States Solicitor General is the person appointed to represent the federal government of the United States before the Supreme Court of the United States. The current Solicitor General, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 6, 2011 and sworn in on June...
, and Drew S. Days, III
Drew S. Days, III
Drew Saunders Days III an American lawyer, served as United States Solicitor General from 1993 to 1996 under President Bill Clinton. He also served as the first African American Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division in the Carter Administration from 1977 to 1980.He is the Alfred M...
, an African American lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund he had admired in oral arguments before him, to head the Civil Rights Division. Bell successfully led the negotiations to divide his former appellate court, the Fifth Circuit (spanning from Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
) into two courts: a new Fifth Circuit based in New Orleans and an Eleventh Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Middle District of Alabama...
based in Atlanta. Bell also led efforts to professionalize the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
after Watergate and recruited another federal appellate judge to recommend to the President as Director, Judge William Webster
William Webster
William Webster may refer to:* William Webster , British clergyman* William Bennett Webster , doctor, amateur geologist and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada...
of the Eighth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Arkansas* Western District of Arkansas...
. After Bell resigned as Attorney General in August 1979, President Carter thereafter appointed him as Special Ambassador to the Helsinki Convention
Helsinki Accords
thumb|300px|[[Erich Honecker]] and [[Helmut Schmidt]] in Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe held in Helsinki 1975....
.
From 1985 to 1987, Bell served as a member of the U.S. Secretary of State's Advisory Committee on South Africa. In 1989, he was appointed Vice Chairman of President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
's Commission on Federal Ethics Law Reform
Commission on Federal Ethics Law Reform
Commission on Federal Ethics Law Reform was a commission established by executive order by President George H. W. Bush to review federal ethics laws, executive orders, and policies and to make recommendations to the president for legislative, administrative, and other reforms needed to ensure full...
. During the Iran-Contra affair
Iran-Contra Affair
The Iran–Contra affair , also referred to as Irangate, Contragate or Iran-Contra-Gate, was a political scandal in the United States that came to light in November 1986. During the Reagan administration, senior Reagan administration officials and President Reagan secretly facilitated the sale of...
investigation, he was counsel to President George H.W. Bush. As a lawyer during this period, he specialized in corporate internal investigations, many that were high-profile, like that for E.F. Hutton following federal indictments for its cash management practices.
United States Court of Military Commission Review
The Military Commissions Act of 2006 mandated that rulings from the Guantanamo military commissions could be appealed to a Court of Military Commission Review, which would sit in Washington D.C.....
.
Bell was replaced by Judge Frank J. Williams
Frank J. Williams
Frank J. Williams is a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rhode Island, a notable Abraham Lincoln scholar and author, and a Justice on the Military Commission Review Panel.-Biography:...
in July 2007, when the first two cases were appealed to the Court, due to ill health.
Society
Bell, whose wit has been widely reported, was an especially popular member of the Carter Cabinet and well-known in the social scene. Bell introduced rooster pepper sausage as one of the more publicized foods in Washington. The dish, made from rooster spur pepper from Georgia, was widely rumored to be an aphrodisiacAphrodisiac
An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexuality and love. Throughout history, many foods, drinks, and behaviors have had a reputation for making sex more attainable and/or pleasurable...
. It was maintained that he slipped supplies of the potent sausage into the White House to President Carter through their mutual close friend, Charles Kirbo
Charles Kirbo
Charles Hughes Kirbo was an American lawyer and longtime advisor to Jimmy Carter.-Early life and legal career:...
.
The Alfalfa Club is a century-old Washington institution of social, political and business America. At its annual dinner in 1979, Bell was the Alfalfa nominee for President of the United States and quipped as he began his acceptance speech that he hoped that President Carter would now understand the full meaning of his warning that he would not serve as Attorney General during the President's re-election campaign. Bell (as well as Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
are both members of the Gridiron Secret Society
Gridiron Secret Society
The Gridiron Secret Society is a secret society based at the University of Georgia, in Athens, Georgia. However, there is much speculation about its international reach...
.
Bell was the first cabinet
United States Cabinet
The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
official named in Mr. Richard Blackwell
Richard Blackwell
Richard Blackwell was an American fashion critic, journalist, television and radio personality, artist, former child actor and former fashion designer, sometimes known just as Mr. Blackwell. He was the creator of the "Ten Worst Dressed Women List", an annual awards presentation he unveiled in...
's list of best dressed Americans in 1978, citing the former Attorney General's penchant for wide, sleek, bold-colored ties that were emblematic of mid-to-late 1970s fashion.
Death
Griffin Bell died on January 5, 2009. According to the Associated Press, Bell was being treated for complications from pancreatic cancerPancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
and had been suffering from long-term kidney disease. Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
governor Sonny Perdue
Sonny Perdue
George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, was the 81st Governor of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....
ordered the flag of the United States flown at half-staff in the state of Georgia on January 7, 2009, the day of Bell's funeral. He is buried in Americus' Oak Grove Cemetery, Section N3-South, where his tombstone bears the inscription "Citizen Soldier, Trial Lawyer, Federal Appellate Judge, Attorney General of the United States."
Honors and awards
In December 2008, Bell received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Georgia Southwestern State UniversityGeorgia Southwestern State University
Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia, is a school in the University System of Georgia.-The College of Arts and Sciences:The College of Arts and Sciences at GSW offers undergraduate degrees in art Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia, is a school in the...
in recognition of his achievements and appreciation for his efforts to promote the interests of his alma mater.