Wickersham, George (1858–1936)

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WICKERSHAM, GEORGE (1858–1936)

Appointed attorney general in 1909 by william howard taft, George Wickersham argued and won standard oil company v. united states (1911) and American Tobacco Company v. United States (1911). He initiated more prosecutions under the sherman antitrust act in four years than his predecessor had in seven, prompting business leaders to call for his resignation. As chairman of the Wickersham Committee from 1929 to 1931, he directed an investigation of the entire system of federal jurisprudence. The commission reported on problems raised by political penetrations of courts, lax criminal law enforcement, abuses of constitutional rights, and various sociological influences contributing to crime.

David Gordon
(1986)