Archibald Cox

In a time curiously bereft of public heroes, the life and achievements of Professor Archibald Cox of Harvard University stands in bold relief as a reminder of what a man of singular dedication, an ethic of public service, and a lifetime of professional integrity can do to change the course of history. This wonderful biography by law professor Ken Gormley recounts the life and accomplishments of this extraordinary person, a man who stood face to face in opposition to one of the most popular and powerful Presidents of the 20th century and, to his undying credit, never blinked. It is a riveting tale of man whose allegiance was to the simple notion that our nation is one ruled by law and not by individual personality. It also tells the captivating story of man who spent a lifetime serving the American people, living by his principles, and passing them on so memorably as a law professor at Harvard University.Cox appears everywhere in the pantheon of modern American accomplishment during his more than sixty year career. He first clerked for the legendary Supreme Court Justice Learned Hand in the midst of the Depression before embarking on a course as a pioneer in public labor law, soon to be asked to serve the federal executive, first as a Special Assistant to the National Defense Mediation Board, and then with the Solicitor General's office. Finally, shortly after the end of the war, he accepted a teaching position with Harvard Law School, where he was destined to become a leading legal expert in labor law. It was in this capacity that he eventually became an advisor to John F. Kennedy, a Harvard graduate and the junior Senator from Massachusetts. When Kennedy won the Presidency in 1960, he appointed Cox the position of Solicitor General, giving Cox the opportunity to argue brilliantly before the Supreme Court as the Government's advocate for civil rights reform. He also worked behind the scenes as a mediator during Harvard's internal student troubles in the late 1960s, trying to mend the huge political, philosophical, and educational issues leading to such dynamic student unrest. Yet all of these accomplishments and lifetime enterprises pale in the face of his later involvement as the Justice Department's Special Prosecutor in that newly created post to independently investigate the troubling issues surrounding the Nixon administrations participation in a wide range of suspect activities. As such, he was a key figure in the unraveling of the Watergate scandal as well as the subsequent Congressional investigations and impeachment proceedings against Richard Nixon. Instructed to conform, heal to Nixon's dictates or else, to cease and desist from his pursuit of the White House tapes, Cox quite simply refused to be cowed. Of course, he was then fired in the infamous Saturday Night Massacre, in which both Attorney General and his assistant publically refused to fire Cox and themselves resigned from the Administra

An outstanding insight into the life of Cox, which goes far beyond his Watergate notoriety, yet still provides a wealth of info about Watergate, as well.

The legal profession has been sinking ever lower in public opinion polls. Archibald Cox's life and character should serve as an aspirational role model for all lawyers. Cox was a participant in may of the major events of the middle third of the twentieth century, and through quiet integrity and commitment he helped shape the consequences of many of those events. Too often the biographies of quiet men have all the appeal of reading the phone directory, but Professor Gormley brings not only the events, but Cox and his character to life. I read this book as an attorney at mid-career, and it inspired me. We do have heros in the profession. There are those in the profession who find success in achievement rather than acquiring money or exploiting self-promotion. After reading this book, I think that this is a man I admire. To most of the public and to many lawyers, the television sterotype is the legal profession. It is not, but the profession would be improved by each of us learning from great lives. Perhaps as an adjunct to ethics courses and CLE lectures, law schools could include in the first year curriculum a legal biography class and state bar associations could require annually that each attorney read a selected legal biography. This book should be among the first to be read by attorneys, professors and students alike. [Unfortunately, there may be those who would promote the books by or about the hucksters and charlatans as "heros" of the profession].

This book is not just Watergate revisited. It spans the amazing career of a model lawyer. The book provides insight into important moments in labor, political and legal history, from Mr. Cox's clerkship with Learned Hand, through his service on Truman's Wage Stabilization Committee, to his role with Comman Cause -- and including, of course, Watergate. The book is extensively researched, and includes numerous interviews with key players in Mr. Cox's career. Mr. Cox is Atticus Finch in government. His work, brought out in this book, is a reminder to lawyers that carrying that JD implies a duty to serve.

As a history teacher, I found this book really entertaining. It gives great information about a time in this country which people have begun to forget. It also shows us what the term "public servant" should mean.