John Garibaldi Sargent (October 13, 1860March 5, 1939) was an American lawyer and government official. He served as

United States Attorney General The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

during the administration of

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Calvin Coolidge.

Biography

John G. Sargent was born in Ludlow, Vermont on October 13, 1860, the son of John Henmon Sargent and Ann Eliza Hanley. He graduated from Black River Academy, and received his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

degree from

Tufts College Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. ...

in 1887. Sargent was married to the former Mary Lorraine Gordon on August 4, 1887. They had a daughter, Gladys Gordon Sargent. Sargent studied law at a firm in Ludlow, was admitted to the bar in 1890, and became a partner in the firm of William W. Stickney, a cousin of Calvin Coolidge. Among the prospective attorneys who studied under Sargent and Stickney were Julius A. Willcox, who later served as an associate justice of the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Court ...

, and Joseph F. Radigan, who served as Vermont's United States Attorney from 1961 to 1969. In addition to practicing law, Sargent was active in the insurance business, served as President of the Ludlow Savings Bank, and was a member of the board of directors of several railroads and other corporations. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, he served as Windsor County State's Attorney from 1898 to 1900. Sargent was Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs (chief assistant) for Stickney during Stickney's term as

Governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

from 1900 to 1902. From 1908 to 1912 Sargent was

Vermont Attorney General The Vermont Attorney General is a statewide elected executive official in the U.S. state of Vermont who is elected every two years. It was created by an act of the Vermont General Assembly in 1790, repealed in 1797, and revived in 1904. The office ...

. In 1912, Sargent received an honorary

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

from Tufts. In 1925,

Coolidge's nominee for Attorney General, Charles B. Warren, was rejected by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

. Coolidge then nominated Sargent, whom he had known since childhood. Sargent was confirmed unanimously, and served until March 4, 1929. After the leaving office, Sargent returned to practicing law; he brought into the firm as a partner Paul A. Chase, who had served as his special assistant while he was U.S. Attorney General. He was also Chairman of the Vermont Commission on Uniform State Laws, and a trustee of the Black River Academy. Sargent died in Ludlow on March 5, 1939, and was buried at the Pleasant View Cemetery in Ludlow, Vermont. John G. Sargent's honors included honorary

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

degrees from Tufts, Norwich University, Middlebury College, and

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

.George Jean Nathan, Henry Louis Mencken, editors
The American Mercury
Volume 12, 1927, page 477

References

External links

DOJ biography
a
''The Political Graveyard''John Garibaldi Sargent
a
''Black River Academy Museum''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sargent, John G. 1860 births 1939 deaths People from Ludlow (town), Vermont American bank presidents Tufts University alumni Vermont lawyers Vermont Republicans State's attorneys in Vermont Vermont Attorneys General United States Attorneys General Coolidge administration cabinet members 20th-century American politicians Burials in Vermont