Bell, Griffin B., 1918-2009

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Griffin B. Bell (1918- ), Judge for the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (1961-1976) and U.S. District Attorney General (1977-1979).

From the description of Griffin B. Bell oral history interviews, 1990 June 12 and Sept. 19. (Georgia State University). WorldCat record id: 38477621

Griffin Boyette Bell was born in Americus, Georgia, on 31 October 1918. He served in the United States Army, attaining the rank of Major, from 1941 to 1946 and graduated cum laude from Mercer University Law School with an LL.B. degree in 1948. Bell practiced law in Georgia from 1948 until 1961 when he was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Judge Bell served on the Fifth Circuit for fifteen years until President Jimmy E. Carter's nomination to become the 72nd Attorney General of the United States. Bell received the attorney general oath of office from Chief Justice Warren E. Burger in January 1977 and served until August 1979. In his private practice, Bell joined the law firm King and Spaulding in Atlanta, Georgia in 1953. He became managing partner in 1958, and served as senior partner until January 2004 when he became senior counsel of the firm. He conducted investigations such as internal reviews for E.F. Hutton's Board of Directors regarding fraud charges and an independent review of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska for the board of directors of the Exxon Company and managed the estate of Howard Hughes. Bell served on Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's ad hoc Advisory Committee on new rules governing military tribunals in 2002, served on the Technology and Privacy Advisory Committee for the Department of Defense, and chaired a study group regarding the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Office of Professional Responsibility in 2003. In addition, he was selected by the Defense Department as a member of the Review Panel for Military Commissions and served as Chief Judge until resigning in November 2007. Griffin Bell died on 5 January 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia at the age of 90.

From the description of Griffin B. Bell papers, circa 1952-2009 (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 636542396

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Bell, Griffin B., 1918-2009,. Griffin B. Bell oral history interviews, 1990 June 12 and Sept. 19. Georgia State University
referencedIn Frank M. Johnson Papers, 1945-1989, (bulk 1955-1986) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn General Records of the Department of Justice. 1790 - 2002. Photographs of Agency Officials and Activities National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Staff Secretary. 1976 - 1981. Staff Scheduling Memoranda. 1977 - 1978. 228 1/21/77-2/10/77 Jimmy Carter Library
referencedIn S. Ernest Vandiver oral history interview, January 25, 1994 Georgia State University
creatorOf Bell, Griffin B., 1918-2009. Miscellaneous papers. Jacksonville University, Carl S. Swisher Library
referencedIn Powell, Lewis F., 1907-1998. Lewis F. Powell, Jr. papers, 1921-1998. [part 3]. The Library at Washington and Lee University School of Law, Law Library
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Staff Secretary. 1976 - 1981. Presidential Files. 1977 - 1981. 9/9/77 [2] Jimmy Carter Library
referencedIn Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies. Richard B. Russell Library Oral History Documentary Collection, 2003-2006.
referencedIn Morris, Robert P., 1955-. Robert P. Morris papers, 1986-1987. Louisiana State University, LSU Libraries
creatorOf Lewis F. Powell Jr. Papers The Library at Washington and Lee University School of Law, Law Library
referencedIn James Vorenberg papers, 1965-1979 Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn Herbert Brownell Jr. Additional Papers. 1897 - 1996. Photographs Dwight D. Eisenhower Library
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Staff Secretary. 1976 - 1981. Presidential Files. 1977 - 1981. 8/3/79 Jimmy Carter Library
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Staff Secretary. 1976 - 1981. Presidential Files. 1977 - 1981. 5/25/79 [2] Jimmy Carter Library
referencedIn Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, 1968 -1983 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Lokey, Hamilton, 1910-1996,. Hamilton and Muriel Lokey oral history interview, 1989 Jan. 26. Georgia State University
creatorOf Bell, Griffin B., 1918-2009. Griffin B. Bell papers, circa 1952-2009 Georgia Historical Society
referencedIn General Records of the Department of Justice. 1790 - 2002. Photographs of Attorneys General National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, 1968 -1983 Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) records, 1967-2002. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Douglas, W. Earl, 1923-1979. Walter Earl Douglas papers, 1964-1979. College of Charleston, Marlene and Nathan Addlestone Library
referencedIn Paul A. Freund papers Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
referencedIn General Records of the Department of Justice. Photographs of Agency Personnel. 1953-1993. National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Staff Secretary. 1976 - 1981. Presidential Files. 1977 - 1981. 4/14/80 [1] Jimmy Carter Library
creatorOf University of California (System). Regents,. Collection of petitions and briefs of the Bakke Case [collection]. University of California Berkeley Law Library, Boalt Law Library; McEnerney Law Library; BerkeleyLaw Library
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Staff Secretary. 1976 - 1981. Presidential Files. 1977 - 1981. 1/26/77 Jimmy Carter Library
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Staff Secretary. 1976 - 1981. Presidential Files. 1977 - 1981. 5/4/79 Jimmy Carter Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Busbee, George, 1927-2004. person
associatedWith Carter, Jimmy, 1924- person
associatedWith Douglas, W. Earl, 1923-1979. person
correspondedWith Johnson, Frank M. (Frank Minis), 1918-1999. person
associatedWith Jordan, Robert H., 1916- person
associatedWith Lokey, Hamilton, 1910-1996, person
associatedWith Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. corporateBody
associatedWith Morris, Robert P., 1955- person
associatedWith Paul A. Freund person
associatedWith Powell, Lewis F., 1907-1998. person
associatedWith Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Court of Appeals (5th Circuit) corporateBody
associatedWith University of California (System). Regents, corporateBody
associatedWith Vandiver, S. Ernest (Samuel Ernest), 1918- person
associatedWith Vorenberg, James. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Georgia
Georgia
United States
United States
Subject
African Americans
Attorneys general
College integration
Court administration
Criminal justice, Administration of
Judges
Lawyers
Local transit
Presidents
School integration
World War, 1939-1945
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1918-10-31

Death 2009-01-05

Americans

English

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SNAC ID: 55698075