David Eliot McGiffert (June 27, 1926 – October 12, 2005) was a United States
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solici ...
and
Pentagon
In geometry, a pentagon (from the Greek language, Greek πέντε ''pente'' meaning ''five'' and γωνία ''gonia'' meaning ''angle'') is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple polygon, simple pentagon is ...
official who dealt with domestic security during the social upheavals of the late 1960s.
Biography
David E. McGiffert was born in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
on June 27, 1926. After high school, he enrolled at the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
, but left without taking a degree in 1944. He then enlisted in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
and served as a
radio technician
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitt ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. Upon leaving the Navy in 1946, he attended
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
; he graduated with a
B.A. in 1949. He spent the 1949-50 school year at
Cambridge University
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
and then attended
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
Each class ...
, receiving his
LL.B. in 1953.
After graduating from law school, McGiffert took a job as an
associate attorney
An associate attorney is a lawyer and an employee of a law firm who does not hold an ownership interest as a partner.
Types
Practicing attorney
An associate may be a junior or senior attorney, but normally does not hold an ownership interest in ...
at
Covington & Burling
Covington & Burling LLP is an American multinational law firm. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the firm advises clients on transactional, litigation, regulatory, and public policy matters. In 2021, Vault.com ranked Covington & Burling as ...
in
Washington, D.C. He spent 1956 as a
lecturer at the
University of Wisconsin Law School
The University of Wisconsin Law School is the professional graduate law school of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the school was founded in 1868. The University of Wisconsin Law School is guided by a "law in ...
, and then returned to Covington & Burling from 1957 to 1961.
In 1962,
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...
John F. Kennedy named McGiffert
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs
The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, or ASD(LA), is the head of the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs, responsible for providing support to the Secretary of Defense (SecDef) in his/her dealings with ...
, serving under
United States Secretary of Defense
The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The ...
Robert McNamara
Robert Strange McNamara (; June 9, 1916 – July 6, 2009) was an American business executive and the eighth United States Secretary of Defense, serving from 1961 to 1968 under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He remains the ...
. He held this position until 1965, at which time President
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
named him
United States Under Secretary of the Army.
He served as Under Secretary of the Army from November 1965 until February 1969. During his time as Under Secretary of the Army,
protests against the Vietnam War broke out in force, and there were calls on the army to support
desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups, usually referring to races. Desegregation is typically measured by the index of dissimilarity, allowing researchers to determine whether desegregation efforts are having impact o ...
and
equal rights.
During the
1967 Newark riots (July 12–17, 1967) and the
1967 Detroit riot
The 1967 Detroit Riot, also known as the 12th Street Riot or Detroit Rebellion, was the bloodiest of the urban riots in the United States during the " Long, hot summer of 1967". Composed mainly of confrontations between Black residents and the ...
(July 23, 1967), ill-prepared
Army National Guard
The Army National Guard (ARNG), in conjunction with the Air National Guard, is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States A ...
troops were despatched to suppress the riots.
On October 21, 1967, some 35,000 anti-war protesters organized by the
National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, gathered for a demonstration at the Defense Department (the "March on the Pentagon"), where they were confronted by some 2,500 armed soldiers. During the protest, a famous event occurred, where
George Harris placed
carnations into the soldiers' gun barrels.
Abbie Hoffman
Abbot Howard "Abbie" Hoffman (November 30, 1936 – April 12, 1989) was an American political and social activist who co-founded the Youth International Party ("Yippies") and was a member of the Chicago Seven. He was also a leading propone ...
declared the group's intention of levitating the Pentagon by means of meditation, wobbling it once in mid-air in order to exorcise evil spirits. In the wake of these protests McGiffert took the lead in organizing the Directorate for Civil Disturbance Planning and Operation, a "domestic war room" at the Pentagon. About this time, the Pentagon also set up a large computer database containing the names of individuals suspected of fostering domestic disturbances. (This controversial program would be shut down in 1970.)
At Secretary McNamara's direction, McGiffert then headed a civil disturbance steering committee to examine the domestic use of the
United States Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...
.
United States Deputy Attorney General
The United States deputy attorney general is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice and oversees the day-to-day operation of the Department. The deputy attorney general acts as attorney general during the ...
Warren Christopher
Warren Minor Christopher (October 27, 1925March 18, 2011) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician. During Bill Clinton's first term as president, he served as the 63rd United States Secretary of State.
Born in Scranton, North Dakota, C ...
also served on this committee. In the tense atmosphere, further heightened by the
assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968, and the
assassination of Robert F. Kennedy on June 5, 1968, this committee undertook detailed intelligence and tactical planning based on "worst case" domestic scenarios.
Regular Army troops were also used to provide security at the
1968 Republican National Convention
The 1968 Republican National Convention was held at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Dade County, Florida, from August 5 to August 8, 1968, to select the party's nominee in the general election. It nominated former Vice Presid ...
(August 5–8, 1968) and the disastrous
1968 Democratic National Convention
The 1968 Democratic National Convention was held August 26–29 at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Earlier that year incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson had announced he would not seek reelection, thus maki ...
(August 26–29, 1968).
Upon leaving the
United States Department of the Army
The United States Department of the Army (DA) is one of the three military departments within the United States Department of Defense, Department of Defense of the U.S. The Department of the Army is the Federal government of the United States ...
in 1969, McGiffert returned to Covington & Burling as a
partner. He was active in the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, serving on the Defense and Arms Control Study Group of the Democratic Party's Foreign Affairs Task Force from 1974 to 1976.
With the election of
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 19 ...
in the
1976 election, McGiffert contributed position papers to President Carter's transition team. On February 25, 1977, President Carter nominated McGiffert as
United States Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. In this capacity, McGiffert would be responsible for overseeing military security in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
.
With the end of the
Carter administration, McGiffert returned to Covington & Burling and practiced law there until his retirement in 1995.
He was a member of the
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is a nonprofit organization that is independent and nonpartisan. CFR is based in New York Ci ...
and served on the boards of the
Atlantic Council
The Atlantic Council is an American think tank in the field of international affairs, favoring Atlanticism, founded in 1961. It manages sixteen regional centers and functional programs related to international security and global economic pro ...
and the
Center for Naval Analyses
CNA, formerly known as the CNA Corporation, is a federally-funded nonprofit research and analysis organization based in Arlington County, Virginia. CNA has around 625 employees.
General
CNA operates:
* The Center for Naval Analyses. CNA's Cente ...
.
McGiffert died of a heart ailment on October 12, 2005, at his home in
Washington, D.C. He was 79 years old.
References
External links
Wolfgang Saxon, "David E. McGiffert; Pentagon official in 60s upheavals; 79," ''New York Times'', Oct. 28, 2005President Carter's Nomination of McGiffert as Assistant Secretary of DefenseIn Memoriam in the HLS Bulletin
{{DEFAULTSORT:McGiffert, David E.
1926 births
2005 deaths
Harvard Law School alumni
United States Under Secretaries of the Army
United States Assistant Secretaries of Defense
People associated with Covington & Burling