James Crawford Biggs
Encyclopedia
James Crawford Biggs was born in Oxford, North Carolina
, on August 29, 1872, to William and Elizabeth Arlington (Cooper) Biggs. Biggs was a student at the Horner Military School in Oxford from 1883-1887 before attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of North Carolina (UNC) in 1893 with a bachelor's degree in philosophy. He was a member of Zeta Psi
Fraternity as well as the scholastic honors fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa. Biggs studied law at UNC Law School from 1893-1894 and was admitted to the North Carolina bar in 1894. He began a law practice in his hometown of Oxford, while teaching simultaneously as a professor at UNC (1898-1900) and Trinity Law School (1911-1912), in Durham, NC. From 1894-1898, Biggs also served as an adjutant in the North Carolina state guard.
Biggs was elected to serve two terms as the mayor of Oxford in 1897 and 1898. He served as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
from Durham County
in 1905. He continued his ascendency in the North Carolina legal system, serving as a state supreme court reporter (1905-1907), and then as a judge in the Superior Court
of North Carolina, from 1907-1911. He resigned from this position in 1911 in order to resume private law practice in Raleigh, NC. From 1917-1918, Biggs was given an opportunity to litigate on the federal level when he was chosen to be a special assistant to the U.S. Attorney General in charge of oil litigation against the Southern Pacific Railroad
in California.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
appointed Biggs Solicitor General
in May 1933, at the start of the New Deal
. Biggs was well out of his depth in his new position, and lost 10 of the 17 cases he argued in his first five months in office. By the end of his' first term, Justice Stone commented that "Biggs was not fit to argue a cow case before a justice of the peace, unless the cow was fatally sick." According to former Solicitor General Seth Waxman, "[t]he Justices informally sent word to [President] Roosevelt that Biggs should not be permitted to argue any case the United States hoped to win. Attorney General Homer Cummings stepped in to ensure that important cases would be handled by attorneys outside the Solicitor General's office. Thus, even before the first New Deal case was argued in the Supreme Court, the Solicitor General -- the person whose principal responsibility it is to represent the interests of the United States -- was out. By the time a more capable successor took office, the New Deal was in deep legal trouble." (Cummings and Assistant Solicitor General Angus D. MacLean argued the Gold Clause Cases
, which eventually marked some of the first successes for New Deal economic policies.) Biggs resigned on March 14, 1935. His successor (and future Supreme Court Justice) Stanley Reed was named his replacement on March 18 and confirmed by the Senate on March 25. Reed immediately set about dismissing several cert petitions filed by the government (e.g., Belcher v. United States) because the cases were poorly postured to result in opinions upholding the New Deal.
Biggs returned to private practice in Raleigh in March 1935. Soon afterward, the government called upon Biggs for his expertise to assist the attorney general in the Northern Pacific Land Grant Case. He also served as chairman on the North Carolina Board of Elections, trustee of the UNC Methodist Orphanage, president of the North Carolina Bar Association from 1914-1915, and a member of the executive committee and counsel of the American Red Cross
, 1933-1935.
He was married to Margie Jordan for 53 years, with whom he had one daughter, Marjorie. James Biggs died on January 30, 1960, at his home in Raleigh, North Carolina
.
Oxford, North Carolina
Oxford is a city in Granville County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,461 at the 2010 census It is the county seat of Granville County.-History:...
, on August 29, 1872, to William and Elizabeth Arlington (Cooper) Biggs. Biggs was a student at the Horner Military School in Oxford from 1883-1887 before attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of North Carolina (UNC) in 1893 with a bachelor's degree in philosophy. He was a member of Zeta Psi
Zeta Psi
The Zeta Psi Fraternity of North America was founded June 1, 1847 as a social college fraternity. The organization now comprises about fifty active chapters and twenty-five inactive chapters, encompassing roughly fifty thousand brothers, and is a founding member of the North-American...
Fraternity as well as the scholastic honors fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa. Biggs studied law at UNC Law School from 1893-1894 and was admitted to the North Carolina bar in 1894. He began a law practice in his hometown of Oxford, while teaching simultaneously as a professor at UNC (1898-1900) and Trinity Law School (1911-1912), in Durham, NC. From 1894-1898, Biggs also served as an adjutant in the North Carolina state guard.
Biggs was elected to serve two terms as the mayor of Oxford in 1897 and 1898. He served as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
from Durham County
Durham County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 223,314 people, 89,015 households, and 54,032 families residing in the county. The population density was 769 people per square mile . There were 95,452 housing units at an average density of 329 per square mile...
in 1905. He continued his ascendency in the North Carolina legal system, serving as a state supreme court reporter (1905-1907), and then as a judge in the Superior Court
Superior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
of North Carolina, from 1907-1911. He resigned from this position in 1911 in order to resume private law practice in Raleigh, NC. From 1917-1918, Biggs was given an opportunity to litigate on the federal level when he was chosen to be a special assistant to the U.S. Attorney General in charge of oil litigation against the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
in California.
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...
appointed Biggs Solicitor General
United States Solicitor General
The United States Solicitor General is the person appointed to represent the federal government of the United States before the Supreme Court of the United States. The current Solicitor General, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 6, 2011 and sworn in on June...
in May 1933, at the start of the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
. Biggs was well out of his depth in his new position, and lost 10 of the 17 cases he argued in his first five months in office. By the end of his' first term, Justice Stone commented that "Biggs was not fit to argue a cow case before a justice of the peace, unless the cow was fatally sick." According to former Solicitor General Seth Waxman, "[t]he Justices informally sent word to [President] Roosevelt that Biggs should not be permitted to argue any case the United States hoped to win. Attorney General Homer Cummings stepped in to ensure that important cases would be handled by attorneys outside the Solicitor General's office. Thus, even before the first New Deal case was argued in the Supreme Court, the Solicitor General -- the person whose principal responsibility it is to represent the interests of the United States -- was out. By the time a more capable successor took office, the New Deal was in deep legal trouble." (Cummings and Assistant Solicitor General Angus D. MacLean argued the Gold Clause Cases
Gold Clause Cases
The Gold Clause Cases were a series of actions brought before the Supreme Court of the United States, in which the court narrowly upheld restrictions on the ownership of gold implemented by the administration of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in order to fight the Great Depression. The cases...
, which eventually marked some of the first successes for New Deal economic policies.) Biggs resigned on March 14, 1935. His successor (and future Supreme Court Justice) Stanley Reed was named his replacement on March 18 and confirmed by the Senate on March 25. Reed immediately set about dismissing several cert petitions filed by the government (e.g., Belcher v. United States) because the cases were poorly postured to result in opinions upholding the New Deal.
Biggs returned to private practice in Raleigh in March 1935. Soon afterward, the government called upon Biggs for his expertise to assist the attorney general in the Northern Pacific Land Grant Case. He also served as chairman on the North Carolina Board of Elections, trustee of the UNC Methodist Orphanage, president of the North Carolina Bar Association from 1914-1915, and a member of the executive committee and counsel of the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
, 1933-1935.
He was married to Margie Jordan for 53 years, with whom he had one daughter, Marjorie. James Biggs died on January 30, 1960, at his home in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
.