J. Mercer Burrell (November 21, 1890 – June 15, 1969) was an American civil rights leader, lawyer, and politician. He was one of the first Black state legislators in New Jersey. He was the defense attorney for the Trenton Six in 1951.

Early life

Burrell was born in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

on November 21, 1890. He graduated from

Union University Union University is a private Baptist university in Jackson, Tennessee, with additional campuses in Germantown and Hendersonville. The university is affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist Convention). It was estab ...

Jackson, Tennessee Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Tennessee, United States. Located east of Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis and 130 Miles Southwest of Nashville, it is a regional center of trade for West Tennessee. Its total population wa ...

. He received his law degree from the New Jersey Law School, now

Rutgers Law School Rutgers Law School is the law school of Rutgers University, with classrooms in Newark and Camden, New Jersey. It is the largest public law school and the 10th largest law school, overall, in the United States. Each class in the three-year J.D. pr ...

. He served as a lieutenant in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. During the war, he was injured in France.

Career

Burrell was an attorney. He represented the founders of the

Phi Delta Kappa PDK International (also known as PDK or Phi Delta Kappa International) is an international professional organization for educators. It was founded on January 24, 1906, at Indiana University. The fraternity administers the collegiate honor society ...

, filing the paperwork to incorporate the education sorority. He served in the New Jersey State House in 1933 as a Republican and 1935 under the Clean Government line. He was one of the first Black assemblymen in New Jersey. From 1936 to 1937, Burrell was the special counsel for the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance. He was the special title attorney for the Newark Housing Authority from 1939 to 1940. In 1947, the Essex County Colored Republican Council was represented by Burrell as it sought to change the Bill of Rights. In 1951, Burrell represented the Trenton Six in a new trial, ultimately winning freedom for four of the Black men who had been convicted of rape in 1948. This was a high profile case that trigged protest rallies and an appeal to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

. In 1953, he ran unsuccessfully to be the Republican nominee for the 11th Congressional District. He was also vice-president of 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, ...

Personal life

Burrell lived in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and

East Orange, New Jersey East Orange is a City (New Jersey), city in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 69,612, an increase of 5,342 (+8.3%) from the 2010 United States ...

before moving to

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

in 1919. Burrell died at his home in Newark on June 15, 1969, at the age of 73.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burrell, J. Mercer Republican Party New Jersey state senators African-American state legislators in New Jersey 1969 deaths Politicians from Richmond, Virginia Rutgers Law School alumni 20th-century African-American lawyers 20th-century African-American politicians 20th-century American lawyers 1890 births Union University alumni American civil rights lawyers 20th-century members of the New Jersey Legislature