Burke Marshall is best known for his enormous influence on civil rights legislation during the most heated era of the civil rights movement. As Assistant Attorney General in charge of civil rights, Mr. Marshall played an integral role in the 1961 ban on segregation in interstate travel and the integration of the University of Mississippi. He also helped shape legislation for the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. Mr. Marshall was known for his negotiation and advisory skills, working with such diverse figures as Governor of Alabama George Wallace, Martin Luther King and James Meredith, the first black student at the University of Mississippi. Following his tenure as Assistant Attorney General, Mr. Marshall turned down a deanship at Yale University and eventually became General Counsel at I.B.M. By 1970, however, he returned to Yale as Deputy Dean and Professor, where he taught political and civil rights classes.
1922 October 1, Born, Plainfield, N.J.
1944 B.A., Yale University
1942-1945 Served to First Lieutenant, U.S. Army
1951 L.L.B., Yale University
1951 Admitted to District of Columbia bar
1951-1961 Associate Partner, Covington & Burlington
1961-1965 Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Justice Department
1965 Partner, Covington & Burlington
1965-1969 Vice-President and General Counsel, I.B.M.
1970-2003 Professor and Dean, Department of Law, Yale University
2003 Died, Newtown, CT
Author
Federalism and Civil Rights, 1964
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (with Seymour Whitney North), 1966
Source
Martin, Douglas. Burke Marshall: New York Times Obituary. June 3, 2003.