Earl G. Harrison
Encyclopedia
Earl Grant Harrison was an American
attorney
, academician
, and public servant. He is chiefly remembered for his work on behalf of displaced persons in the aftermath of the Second World War
, when he brought attention to the plight of Jewish refugees
in a crucial report he submitted to President Harry S. Truman
. He also had a distinguished career as an attorney in the Philadelphia area and was a name partner in the law firm of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP.
from University of Pennsylvania
as a valedictorian
in 1920, and his LLB from the same university's law school
in 1923. He practiced law at the firm of Saul, Ewing, Remick, and Saul
from 1923 to 1945.
Harrison served in the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
, first as Director of Alien Registration in the United States Department of Justice
from 1940 to 1941, and then as the United States Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization from 1942 to 1944. Under his leadership, the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service experienced significant and positive reform and restructuring.
He also served as the U.S. representative on the Intergovernmental Commission on Refugees from 1945 to 1946.
Harrison was dean
of the University of Pennsylvania Law School from 1945 to 1948 before resigning, allegedly over the appointment of Harold Stassen
as university president.
He joined the law firm of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis in 1948 as a name partner, where he worked until his death in 1955. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=900005434381
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, academician
Academician
The title Academician denotes a Full Member of an art, literary, or scientific academy.In many countries, it is an honorary title. There also exists a lower-rank title, variously translated Corresponding Member or Associate Member, .-Eastern Europe and China:"Academician" may also be a functional...
, and public servant. He is chiefly remembered for his work on behalf of displaced persons in the aftermath of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when he brought attention to the plight of Jewish refugees
Sh'erit ha-Pletah
Sh'erit ha-Pletah is a biblical term used by Jewish survivors of the Nazi Holocaust to refer to themselves and the communities they formed following their liberation in the spring of 1945....
in a crucial report he submitted to President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
. He also had a distinguished career as an attorney in the Philadelphia area and was a name partner in the law firm of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP.
Professional career
Harrison was born in Philadelphia, the son of grocer Joseph Layland Harrison and stock-company actress Anna MacMullen. He earned his A.BBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
as a valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
in 1920, and his LLB from the same university's law school
University of Pennsylvania Law School
The University of Pennsylvania Law School, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania. A member of the Ivy League, it is among the oldest and most selective law schools in the nation. It is currently ranked 7th overall by U.S. News & World Report,...
in 1923. He practiced law at the firm of Saul, Ewing, Remick, and Saul
Saul Ewing
Saul Ewing LLP is a Philadelphia-based law firm. In addition to their main headquarters Saul Ewing has eight Mid-Atlantic regional offices in Baltimore, MD, Chesterbrook, PA, Harrisburg, PA, Newark, NJ, New York, NY, Princeton, NJ, Washington, DC, and Wilmington, DE.- History :Saul Ewing's...
from 1923 to 1945.
Harrison served in the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, first as Director of Alien Registration in the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
from 1940 to 1941, and then as the United States Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization from 1942 to 1944. Under his leadership, the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service experienced significant and positive reform and restructuring.
He also served as the U.S. representative on the Intergovernmental Commission on Refugees from 1945 to 1946.
Harrison was dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the University of Pennsylvania Law School from 1945 to 1948 before resigning, allegedly over the appointment of Harold Stassen
Harold Stassen
Harold Edward Stassen was the 25th Governor of Minnesota from 1939 to 1943. After service in World War II, from 1948 to 1953 he was president of the University of Pennsylvania...
as university president.
He joined the law firm of Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis in 1948 as a name partner, where he worked until his death in 1955. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=900005434381
The cause of refugees and the Harrison Report
At the end of World War II, Harrison conducted an inspection tour of former Nazi concentration camps. Subsequently, he issued a report on his investigation, and offered his forthright recommendation to President Truman that the displaced persons who then occupied those camps be permitted to resettle in Palestine if they so chose. Harrison's report has been credited by some historians as a crucial step in the development of United States support for the State of Israel.Other activities
Earl G. Harrison was recognized for his unfailing responsiveness to the needs of the community and his dedication to public service. He was described by his contemporaries as “spare-framed, square-jawed, red haired,” "a Roosevelt Republican," and "an almost indefatigable worker." In addition to his work for the United States government and his professional career, he was an officer and director of the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia and general campaign chairman of the Philadelphia United War Chest, a predecessor of the United Way. Harrison also served as director of the Philadelphia Area Council of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP. He was a trustee of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and of the University of Pennsylvania. He was considered for nomination as a candidate for governor of Pennsylvania in 1946.External links
- Harrison Report on the Treatment of Displaced Jews
- The United States Holocaust Museum description of the Harrison Report
- The Harrison Report: Post World War II Bombshell, Larry Teitelbaum, Penn Law Journal (Spring 2006)
- "Schnader Harrison: A Survivor at 75," The Legal Intelligencer, August 8, 2005