From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Edward H. Levi
Edward H. Levi
Edward H. Levi cited as the "model of a modern attorney general,"[1][2][3]
the "greatest lawyer of his time," [4] and considered,
along with Yale’s Whitney Griswold, the greatest of post-
war American university presidents.[5] He is credited
with restoring order after Watergate [6] and the consen-
sus of scholars is that he is one of only two truly out-
standing AGs in modern times.[7]
Early life
Levi was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son and grandson
of rabbis. His maternal grandfather was Emil Gustav
Hirsch, son of the German philosopher and rabbi Samuel
Hirsch. He received his A.B. Phi Beta Kappa from the un-
dergraduate college of the University of Chicago in 1932,
and later his J.D. at the University of Chicago Law School
in 1935. The following year he was named an assistant
professor of law at the Law School and was admitted to
the Illinois bar. He earned a J.S.D. from Yale University,
where he was also a Sterling Fellow in 1938.
71st United States Attorney General
In office
Education and political career
1975–1977 During World War II he served as a special assistant to
President Gerald Ford the Attorney General of the United States. In 1945, he re-
turned to the University of Chicago Law School and was
Preceded by William B. Saxbe named dean of the law school in 1950. In 1950, he also
Succeeded by Griffin Bell worked as chief counsel for the Subcommittee on Mo-
nopoly Power of the U.S. House Committee on the Judi-
Personal details
ciary. He resigned as law school dean and became provost
Born June 26, 1911(1911-06-26) of the university in 1962.
Chicago, Illinois, He was a member of the White House Central Group on
United States Domestic Affairs in 1964, the White House Task Force on Edu-
Died March 7, 2000(2000-03-07) (aged 88) cation from 1966 to 1967 and the President’s Task Force on
Chicago, Illinois, Priorities in Higher Education from 1969 to 1970.
United States He became the University of Chicago’s president in
Political party Republican 1968, serving until 1975, when President Gerald R. Ford
appointed him 71st Attorney General of the United
Spouse(s) Kate Levi States. Levi was the first Jewish Attorney General of the
Children David F. Levi United States. During his presidency of the University of
Michael Levi Chicago he refused to call the Chicago City Police to evict
John G. Levi students occupying the university administrative build-
Alma mater University of Chicago ing.
Yale University During his term as Attorney General, he issued a set
of guidelines (in 1976) to limit the activities of the FBI.
Religion Jewish
These guidelines required the FBI to show evidence of
a crime before using secret police techniques like wire-
Edward Hirsch Levi (June 26, 1911 – March 7, 2000) was an
taps or entering someone’s home without warning. Th-
American academic leader, scholar, and statesman who
ese guidelines were replaced by new ones issued in 1983
served as United States Attorney General. He is regularly
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Edward H. Levi
Academic offices
Preceded by President of the University of Chicago Succeeded by
George W. Beadle 1968—1975 John T. Wilson
Legal offices
Preceded by United States Attorney General Succeeded by
William B. Saxbe Served under: Gerald Ford Griffin B. Bell
1975–1977
by Ronald Reagan’s Attorney General, William French
Smith. He also successfully urged President Ford to ap-
References
point fellow Chicagoan John Paul Stevens to the United [1] http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2006/12/28/president-
States Supreme Court. Serving under him, in various high fords-legal-legacy-edward-levi/
staff positions, were such people as Rudolph Giuliani, [2] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/
Robert Bork, Antonin Scalia, Rex E. Lee, and Arthur Ray- content/article/2007/08/27/
mond Randolph.[8] AR2007082701338.html
[3] http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2007/11/09/michael-
mukaseys-job-be-like-ed-levi/
Later life [4] http://books.google.com/
After his term as Attorney General, he returned to teach- books?id=OfOl36U0BR8C&lpg=PA281&ots=ZEXj_FQhJW&dq=%E2%
ing at the University of Chicago’s Law School and College. [5] http://books.google.com/
He was a visiting professor at Stanford University Law books?id=a2DSUKoLKYQC&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=edward+levi&
School from 1977 to 1978. [6] http://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/08/us/edward-
He was the author of An Introduction to Legal Reasoning, h-levi-attorney-general-credited-with-restoring-
which was first published in 1949 and his speeches were order-after-watergate.html
collected in Point of View: Talks on Education. [7] http://frum.nationalreview.com/post/
He was a trustee of the University of Chicago and the ?q=YWNkYjM4OGUwMTI0ZTNmYjA5ZjBkZGJjM2M0MGJmZjg
MacArthur Foundation. He was a chairman and a mem- [8] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/
ber of the Council on Legal Education for Professional Re- content/article/2006/12/27/
sponsibility. AR2006122701384.html
He died in Chicago, Illinois, aged 88, of Alzheimer’s [9] http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2005/November/
disease on March 7, 2000. In 2005, the Justice Department 05_opa_591.html
commemorated the 30th anniversary of his appointment [10] http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/189765-1
as Attorney General with a ceremony and creation of the Persondata
Edward H. Levi Award for Outstanding Professionalism
Name Levi, Edward H.
and Exemplary Integrity.[9] The Award was established to
pay tribute to the memory and achievements of Mr. Le- Alternative names
vi, whose career as an attorney, law professor and dean, Short description
and public servant exemplified these qualities in the best Date of birth June 26, 1911
traditions of the Department. Friends and former col-
Place of birth Chicago, Illinois, United States
leagues, including former Secretary of Defense Donald
H. Rumsfeld; U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justices John Date of death March 7, 2000
Paul Stevens and Antonin Scalia; former Attorney Gener- Place of death Chicago, Illinois, United States
al Nicholas Katzenbach; and former U.S. Court of Appeals
Judge and Solicitor General Robert H. Bork, gathered to
honor Mr. Levi.[10]
He has three sons, David, Michael, and John. David F.
Levi is a former federal judge and the current dean of
Duke Law School. John G. Levi was recently confirmed to
the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edward_H._Levi&oldid=461221716"
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Edward H. Levi
Categories:
• 1911 births
• 2000 deaths
• People from Chicago, Illinois
• Deaths from Alzheimer's disease
• Jewish American politicians
• United States Attorneys General
• University of Chicago alumni
• University of Chicago Laboratory Schools alumni
• University of Chicago Law School alumni
• University of Chicago faculty
• Presidents of the University of Chicago
• American Jews
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