Irvin Charles Mollison (December 24, 1898 – May 5, 1962) was a
judge
A judge is a person who wiktionary:preside, presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a judicial panel. In an adversarial system, the judge hears all the witnesses and any other Evidence (law), evidence presented by the barris ...
of the
United States Customs Court
The United States Court of International Trade (case citations: Ct. Int'l Trade), or CIT, is a U.S. federal court that adjudicates civil actions arising out of U.S. customs and international trade laws. Seated in Lower Manhattan, New York City, ...
.
Education and career
Born on December 24, 1898, in
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat. The population was 21,573 at the 2020 census. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vicksburg ...
, Mollison was the son of
Willis E. Mollison, one of the "pioneering African-American lawyers in Mississippi."
Mollison received a
Bachelor of Philosophy
Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil, BPh, or PhB; or or ) is the title of an academic degree in philosophy that usually involves considerable research, either through a thesis or supervised research projects. Unlike many other bachelor's degrees, the ...
degree in 1920 from the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
, graduating
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...
. He received a
Juris Doctor
A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
in 1923 from the
University of Chicago Law School
The University of Chicago Law School is the Law school in the United States, law school of the University of Chicago, a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It employs more than 180 full-time and part-time facul ...
. He then worked in private practice in
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
from 1923 to 1945.
Mollison successfully argued before the
U. S. Supreme Court in the landmark case of
Hansberry v. Lee. Mollison represented Israel Katz, one of the defendants who had signed the restrictive covenant (thinking it was a petition for neighborhood improvement).
Mollison was a leader in a variety of civic and professional organizations in Chicago. He was the President of the Illinois
NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...
in the late 1930s.
From 1938 to 41 and 1945 to 48, Mollison served on the Board of Directors for the
Chicago Public Library
The Chicago Public Library (CPL) is the public library system that serves the Chicago, City of Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois. It consists of 81 locations, including a central library, three regional libraries, and branches distributed thr ...
. In 1944, Mollison became the only black director of the
Chicago Board of Education
The Chicago Board of Education serves as the board of education (school board) for the Chicago Public Schools.
The board traces its origins to the Board of School Inspectors, created in 1837.
The board is currently made up of 11 members appoin ...
. In 1944 and 1945, Mollison was a member of the Board of Directors for the Chicago Chapter of the
National Lawyers Guild
The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) is a progressive public interest association of lawyers, law students, paralegals, jailhouse lawyers, law collective members, and other activist legal workers, in the United States. The group was founded in 193 ...
.
In addition, Mollison was a member of the
Cook County Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, and the
National Bar Association
The National Bar Association (NBA) was founded in 1925 and is the nation's oldest and largest national network of predominantly African Americans, African-American attorneys and judges. It represents the interests of approximately 67,000 lawyers, ...
.
Federal judicial service
Mollison was nominated by President
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...
on October 3, 1945, to a seat on the
United States Customs Court
The United States Court of International Trade (case citations: Ct. Int'l Trade), or CIT, is a U.S. federal court that adjudicates civil actions arising out of U.S. customs and international trade laws. Seated in Lower Manhattan, New York City, ...
vacated by Judge
Thomas Joseph Walker. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
on October 26, 1945, without a single dissenting vote.
He received his commission on October 29, 1945.
Mollison was the first African American to serve on the United States Customs Court.
Mollison was initially appointed as a Judge under
Article I, but the court was raised to Article III status by
operation of law
The phrase "by operation of law" is a legal term that indicates that a right or liability has been created for a party, irrespective of the intent of that party, because it is dictated by existing legal principles. For example, if a person dies wi ...
on July 14, 1956, and Mollison thereafter served as an
Article III Judge. His service terminated on May 5, 1962, due to his death in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
.
See also
*
List of African-American federal judges
This is a list of African Americans who have served as United States federal judge
In the United States, a federal judge is a judge who serves on a court established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. Often called "Article III ju ...
*
List of African-American jurists
This list includes individuals self-identified as African Americans who have made prominent contributions to the field of law in the United States, especially as eminent judges or legal scholars. Individuals who may have obtained law degrees o ...
References
External links
*
Just The Beginning Foundation, Irvin C. MollisonLibrary of Congress, Irvin C. Mollison
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mollison, Irven Charles
1898 births
1962 deaths
Judges of the United States Customs Court
Members of the Chicago Board of Education
People from Vicksburg, Mississippi
United States Article I federal judges appointed by Harry S. Truman
University of Chicago alumni
University of Chicago Law School alumni