Archibald Cox

Archibald Cox. He was an American legal scholar and public servant whose career was defined by integrity and a commitment to the rule of law. He served as the first Watergate special prosecutor, a role that placed him at the center of the Watergate scandal and led to his dramatic dismissal in the Saturday Night Massacre. His earlier career included service as Solicitor General of the United States under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, and decades as a revered professor at Harvard Law School.

Early life and education

He was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, into a family with a strong legal tradition; his grandfather, William M. Evarts, had been a prominent United States Attorney General and United States Secretary of State. He attended the prestigious St. Paul's School before enrolling at Harvard College, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1934. He then entered Harvard Law School, serving as president of the Harvard Law Review and graduating magna cum laude in 1937. His legal education was influenced by professors like Felix Frankfurter, who would later serve on the Supreme Court of the United States.

Legal career and academia

After law school, he clerked for Judge Learned Hand of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, a formative experience. He then joined the Boston law firm Ropes & Gray and began teaching at Harvard Law School in 1946. During World War II, he served in the United States Department of Labor and the National Defense Advisory Commission. He became a full professor at Harvard, specializing in labor law and earning a reputation as a demanding and brilliant teacher. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed him Solicitor General of the United States, where he successfully argued landmark cases before the Supreme Court, including Baker v. Carr and Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States.

Watergate special prosecutor

In May 1973, amid the escalating Watergate scandal, United States Attorney General Elliot Richardson appointed him as the first independent special prosecutor. His investigation aggressively pursued evidence related to the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and the subsequent White House cover-up. He famously subpoenaed secret White House tapes from President Richard Nixon, leading to a constitutional showdown. When Nixon ordered Attorney General Richardson to fire him, Richardson refused and resigned; Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus also refused and was dismissed. Solicitor General Robert Bork ultimately carried out the order on October 20, 1973, in the event known as the Saturday Night Massacre. This act triggered massive public outrage and accelerated moves toward impeachment.

Later career and legacy

Following his dismissal, he returned to Harvard Law School and remained a prominent voice on legal ethics and constitutional law. He chaired the Common Cause organization, advocating for government accountability. He also served as head of several public sector labor relations boards, including for New York City teachers and police. His legacy is that of a principled defender of the Constitution whose actions during Watergate helped affirm the principle that no person, not even the President of the United States, is above the law. The Archibald Cox Award at Harvard Law School and the Archibald Cox Professor of Law chair are named in his honor.

Personal life and death

He married Phoebe Morgan in 1937, and they had three children. The family maintained a home in Wayland, Massachusetts, and spent summers in Brooksville, Maine. He was an avid sailor and gardener. He died at his home in Brooksville, Maine on May 29, 2004, from natural causes at the age of 92. His funeral was held at Memorial Church in Harvard Yard, and he is interred at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Category:American lawyers Category:Harvard Law School faculty Category:Watergate scandal