John Doar

John Doar
Non mentioned in description of video · Public domain · source
Name	John Doar
Birth date	3 December 1921
Birth place	New Richmond, Wisconsin
Death date	11 November 2014
Death place	New York City, New York
Alma mater	Princeton University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Chicago Law School
Occupation	Lawyer, public servant
Known for	Civil rights litigation, voting rights cases, prosecution of "Mississippi Burning" case, role in impeachment inquiry of Richard Nixon
Awards	Presidential Medal of Freedom (2012)

John Doar. John Doar was an American lawyer and public servant who served as a key attorney in the United States Department of Justice during the 1960s. He played a pivotal role in enforcing federal civil rights laws, prosecuting landmark voting rights cases, and later served as the lead counsel for the United States House Committee on the Judiciary during the impeachment inquiry of President Richard Nixon. His career is widely regarded as a model of nonpartisan dedication to the rule of law and racial justice.

Early Life and Education

John Doar was born in New Richmond, Wisconsin, in 1921. He attended Princeton University, graduating in 1944, and served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. After the war, he earned a second bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley before graduating from the University of Chicago Law School in 1949. He practiced law in New Richmond before moving to Washington, D.C., in 1960 to join the United States Department of Justice.

Career in the Justice Department

In 1960, Doar was appointed First Assistant in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department under the administration of President John F. Kennedy. He served under Assistant Attorney General Burke Marshall. During a period of intense conflict, Doar was frequently dispatched to the Southern United States as the federal government's frontline representative to protect African Americans attempting to exercise their constitutional rights. He worked closely with the FBI and federal marshals, often placing himself in physical danger to monitor protests and voter registration drives. His work was instrumental during the administrations of both Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Key Role in Civil Rights Cases

Doar was the lead government attorney in several foundational lawsuits aimed at dismantling Jim Crow laws and securing voting rights. He successfully argued ''United States v. Mississippi'' (1962) before the Supreme Court of the United States, challenging the state's discriminatory voter registration system. He also prosecuted ''United States v. Louisiana'', another major voting rights case. Perhaps his most famous courtroom moment came during the 1962 trial stemming from the University of Mississippi desegregation crisis; he personally escorted James Meredith to register, facing down a violent mob. Doar's litigation helped lay the legal groundwork for the passage of the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Prosecution of the "Mississippi Burning" Case

In 1967, Doar achieved a historic victory as the lead prosecutor in the federal trial for the murders of three civil rights workers in Neshoba County, Mississippi—a case widely known as the "Mississippi Burning" case. The victims, Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner, were killed by members of the Ku Klux Klan in 1964. After state authorities failed to secure indictments, Doar and the Justice Department pursued federal civil rights charges against 18 men. In a tense trial before a segregated Southern jury, Doar's meticulous prosecution secured convictions for seven defendants, including Cecil Price and Sam Bowers, marking a rare federal triumph against lynch-mob violence in the Deep South.

Role in the Impeachment Inquiry of Richard Nixon

After leaving the Justice Department, Doar was appointed in 1973 by the United States House Committee on the Judiciary to serve as the special counsel for the impeachment inquiry into President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. As a Republican appointed by a Democratic-controlled committee, his nonpartisan reputation was crucial. Doar led a team of over 100 lawyers and investigators, compiling the massive evidentiary record known as the "Doar Report," which detailed the charges against Nixon. His methodical, fair-minded approach was credited with building a bipartisan consensus that led the Judiciary Committee to approve three articles of impeachment, prompting Nixon's resignation in August 1974.

Later Career and Legacy

Following Watergate, Doar entered private practice in New York City, specializing in complex civil litigation. He remained active in public service, serving as President of the New York City Board of Education from 1986 to 1990. In 2012, President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, citing his "relentless pursuit of equal justice." John Doar died in New York City in 2014. He is remembered as a fearless attorney whose work in the Civil Rights Movement and during the constitutional crisis of Watergate embodied a profound commitment to the principle that no one is above the law. His career is studied as an exemplar of ethical lawyering in the service of justice.