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Born in Spring Creek Township, Warren County, Pennsylvania, Jackson studied law at Albany Law School in Albany, New York, graduating in 1912. He passed the New York Bar Exam in 1913 and set up practice in Jamestown, New York.
Jackson became active in the federal government during the FDR administration, serving as general counsel of the Internal Revenue Service beginning in 1934Events January-April January 1 Alcatraz becomes a federal prison. January 7 First Flash Gordon comic strip is published. January 10 Execution of Marinus van der Lubbe January 24 Einstein visits White House January 26 The Apollo Theater opens in Harlem, Ne. He went on to become an Assistant Attorney General from 1936Events January-February January 15 The first building to be completely covered in glass is completed in Toledo, Ohio, for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company. January 20 Death of George V of the United Kingdom. His son Edward VIII succeedes him as King of th to 1938Events January -June January 3 The March of Dimes is established by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. January 11 Frances Moulton is the first woman to become president of a US national bank. January 20 Wedding of king Farouk I of Egypt and Farida Zulficar in Cai, during which time he was noted for successfully prosecuting several antitrustAntitrust is also the name for a movie, see Antitrust. Antitrust or Competition laws legislate against trade practices which undermine competitiveness or are considered to be unfair. The term antitrust derives from the US law which was originally formulat cases.
After a term as United States Solicitor GeneralThe United States Solicitor General is the individual tasked with arguing for the United States Government in front of the U. Supreme Court, when the government is party to a case. The Solicitor General works within the United States Department of Justice (1938-39) Jackson was appointed Attorney General by Roosevelt in 1940, replacing Frank MurphyWilliam Francis (Frank) Murphy ( April 13, 1890 July 19, 1949) was an American public servant. He served as Mayor of Detroit, Governor of Michigan, the last Governor-General of the Philippines and the first High Commissioner of the Philippines, United Sta. When Harlan Fiske StoneHarlan Fiske Stone ( October 11, 1872 April 22, 1946) was the dean of Columbia Law School, Attorney General of the United States, Associate Justice and later Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Biography Early Years Harlan Fiske Stone was bo replaced the retiring Charles Evans Hughes as Chief Justice in 1941, Roosevelt appointed Jackson to the resulting vacant Associate's seat.
In 1943, Jackson authored the controversial majority opinion in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624, which overturned a public school regulation making it mandatory to salute the flag and imposing penalties of expulsion and prosecution upon students that failed to comply.
Jackson was granted a leave of absence from the Court in 1945. He helped draft the London Charter of the International Military Tribunal, which created the legal basis for the Nuremberg trials. Afterward, he traveled to Germany to act as the United States' chief prosecutor at those trials. Jackson pursued his prosecutorial role with a great deal of vigor (for instance, referring in arguments to Hermann Göring as being "half militarist, half gangster"), but resigned his position as prosecutor after the first trial and returned to the U.S. in the midst of controversy.
Jackson had informally been promised the Chief Justiceship by Roosevelt; however, the seat came open while Jackson was in Germany, and FDR was no longer alive. President Truman was faced with two factions, one recommending Jackson for the seat, the other advocating Hugo Black. In an attempt to avoid controversy, Truman appointed Fred M. Vinson. Jackson blamed machinations by Black for his being passed over for the seat, and began a long feud with Black, which was heavily covered in the press and cast the New Deal Court in a negative light.
Jackson died in Washington, D.C. at the age of 62 and was interred in Frewsburg, New York.
Jackson was played by Alec Baldwin in the 2000 mini-series Nuremberg.