Charles Fickert
Encyclopedia
Charles Marron Fickert was lawyer, politician, and American football
player and coach. He was the district attorney
of San Francisco from 1909 until 1920, best known for prosecuting Thomas Mooney
and Warren Billings for the Preparedness Day bombing
of 1916.
, Fickert entered Stanford University
in 1894, where he studied law and played guard
on the university's football team
. In 1901, Fickert was the first Stanford alumnus to serve as head football coach at his alma mater. He led Stanford to a 3–2–2 record in 1901 and an appearance in the first ever college football
bowl game
, the 1902 Rose Bowl
, where his team lost, 49–0, to the Michigan Wolverines
.
in 1895 in Los Angeles
, he arrived in San Francisco and joined the law offices of Edward Robeson Taylor
, who soon replaced Mayor Eugene E. Schmitz when Schmitz was indicted during the graft trials.
Fickert's first public office was assistant United States Attorney
, serving for two years. He then successfully opposed special prosecutor for the DA's office Francis J. Heney
for DA in the fall of 1909. He was regularly reelected until defeat by Matthew Brady
in 1920. In 1918, he ran for the Republican
nomination for Governor of California
, but was defeated by incumbent William Stephens
.
and Warren K. Billings during the Preparedness Day Bombing
. Witnesses claimed Fickert coached them to perjure themselves in subsequent hearings in order to defend the original convictions. Fickert continued his battles with his fists, first against Heney at the Olympic Club and later against editor Fremont Older
at the Palace Hotel
.
A 1919 grand jury exonerated Fickert from charges made by John B. Densmore, investigator from Washington, Director General of Employment, in the framing of Mooney and Billings and for his having conspired with Pete McDonough
in the freeing of wealthy defendants. President Theodore Roosevelt
declared, "anyone assailing Fickert for prosecuting anarchists should be deprived of citizenship".
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach. He was the district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
of San Francisco from 1909 until 1920, best known for prosecuting Thomas Mooney
Thomas Mooney
Thomas Joseph "Tom" Mooney was an American political activist and labor leader, who was convicted with Warren K. Billings of the San Francisco Preparedness Day Bombing of 1916...
and Warren Billings for the Preparedness Day bombing
Preparedness Day bombing
The Preparedness Day Bombing was a bombing in San Francisco, California on July 22, 1916, when the city held a parade in honor of Preparedness Day, in anticipation of the United States' imminent entry into World War I. During the parade a suitcase bomb was detonated, killing ten and wounding...
of 1916.
College and football career
Born in Kern County, CaliforniaKern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
, Fickert entered Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1894, where he studied law and played guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
on the university's football team
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
. In 1901, Fickert was the first Stanford alumnus to serve as head football coach at his alma mater. He led Stanford to a 3–2–2 record in 1901 and an appearance in the first ever college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
, the 1902 Rose Bowl
1902 Rose Bowl
Originally titled the "Tournament East-West football game," what is now known as the Rose Bowl Game was first played on January 1, 1902 in Pasadena, California, starting the tradition of New Year's Day bowl games.The inaugural game featured Fielding H...
, where his team lost, 49–0, to the Michigan Wolverines
1901 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1901 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1901 college football season. In their first year under new head coach Fielding H. Yost, Michigan finished the season undefeated with an 11–0 record, outscored their opponents by the unprecedented total of 550...
.
Head coaching record
Political career
Admitted to the California BarState Bar of California
The State Bar of California is California's official bar association. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law, investigating complaints of professional misconduct, and prescribing appropriate discipline...
in 1895 in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, he arrived in San Francisco and joined the law offices of Edward Robeson Taylor
Edward Robeson Taylor
Edward Robeson Taylor was the 28th Mayor of San Francisco serving from July 16, 1907 to January 7, 1910....
, who soon replaced Mayor Eugene E. Schmitz when Schmitz was indicted during the graft trials.
Fickert's first public office was assistant United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
, serving for two years. He then successfully opposed special prosecutor for the DA's office Francis J. Heney
Francis J. Heney
Francis Joseph Heney was an American lawyer who served as Attorney General of the Arizona Territory between 1893 and 1895.- Early years :...
for DA in the fall of 1909. He was regularly reelected until defeat by Matthew Brady
Matthew Brady (district attorney)
Matthew Brady was a district attorney in San Francisco from 1919 through 1943.Brady defeated previous district attorney Charles Fickert, who was responsible for the conviction of Tom Mooney and Warren Billings in the Preparedness Day bombing....
in 1920. In 1918, he ran for the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nomination for Governor of California
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
, but was defeated by incumbent William Stephens
William Stephens
William Dennison Stephens was an American federal and state politician. A three-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1911 to 1916, Stephens was also the 24th Governor of California from 1917 to 1923....
.
Preparedness Day bombing
Fickert was in office in 1916 and drew national attention and scandal for his prosecution of labor leaders Thomas MooneyThomas Mooney
Thomas Joseph "Tom" Mooney was an American political activist and labor leader, who was convicted with Warren K. Billings of the San Francisco Preparedness Day Bombing of 1916...
and Warren K. Billings during the Preparedness Day Bombing
Preparedness Day bombing
The Preparedness Day Bombing was a bombing in San Francisco, California on July 22, 1916, when the city held a parade in honor of Preparedness Day, in anticipation of the United States' imminent entry into World War I. During the parade a suitcase bomb was detonated, killing ten and wounding...
. Witnesses claimed Fickert coached them to perjure themselves in subsequent hearings in order to defend the original convictions. Fickert continued his battles with his fists, first against Heney at the Olympic Club and later against editor Fremont Older
Fremont Older
Fremont Older was a newspaperman and editor in San Francisco, California for nearly fifty years. He is best known for his campaigns against civic corruption and efforts on behalf of Tom Mooney and Warren Billings, wrongly convicted of the Preparedness Day bombing of 1916.Born in a log cabin in...
at the Palace Hotel
Palace Hotel, San Francisco
The Palace Hotel is a landmark historic hotel in San Francisco, California, located at the SW corner of Market and New Montgomery streets. Also referred to as the "New" Palace Hotel to distinguish it from the original 1875 Palace Hotel that it was built to replace, the present...
.
A 1919 grand jury exonerated Fickert from charges made by John B. Densmore, investigator from Washington, Director General of Employment, in the framing of Mooney and Billings and for his having conspired with Pete McDonough
Pete McDonough
Peter P. McDonough was a wealthy and influential Irish-Catholic San Francisco bail bondsman. According to the San Francisco News and the SF Chronicle, Pete and his brother Tom founded the first modern Bail Bonds business in the United States, the system by which a person pays a percentage to a...
in the freeing of wealthy defendants. President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
declared, "anyone assailing Fickert for prosecuting anarchists should be deprived of citizenship".