Arnold Burns facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arnold Burns
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 22nd United States Deputy Attorney General | |
| In office 1986–1988 |
|
| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | D. Lowell Jensen |
| Succeeded by | Harold G. Christensen |
| United States Associate Attorney General | |
| In office 1985–1986 |
|
| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | D. Lowell Jensen |
| Succeeded by | Stephen S. Trott |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Arnold Irwin Burns
April 14, 1930 Brooklyn, New York City, New York |
| Died | October 1, 2013 (aged 83) Manhattan, New York City, New York |
| Spouse | Felice Burns |
| Alma mater | Union College (B.A) Cornell Law School (J.D.) |
Arnold Irwin Burns (born April 14, 1930 – died October 1, 2013) was an American lawyer. He held important jobs in the United States government. From 1986 to 1988, he was the United States Deputy Attorney General. This means he was the second-highest lawyer in the U.S. Justice Department. He worked for President Ronald Reagan and Attorney General Edwin Meese.
In March 1988, Mr. Burns and other officials resigned from their positions. They did this to protest concerns about the actions of Attorney General Meese. Later that year, Mr. Burns spoke to the U.S. Congress. He shared information from an investigation into Mr. Meese. Shortly after, Mr. Meese also resigned from his job.
Contents
Arnold Burns: Early Life and Education
Arnold Burns was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 14, 1930. His mother, Rose Burns, was a homemaker. His father, Herman Burns, owned a jewelry store.
Mr. Burns went to Union College. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1950. He then studied law at Cornell Law School. He received his law degree, called a J.D., in 1953. Later in his life, he became the Chairman of Union College's Board of Trustees. He held this role from 1982 to 1986.
Arnold Burns: Career in Law and Government
After finishing law school, Mr. Burns worked for a private law firm. He later helped start his own law firm, called Burns Summit Rovins & Feldesman. There, he focused on corporate law, which deals with legal matters for businesses. He did this for over 25 years.
In late 1985, Mr. Burns was appointed as the United States Associate Attorney General. This was another high-ranking job in the Justice Department. In July 1986, he became the United States Deputy Attorney General. This was the second-highest position in the entire Justice Department. He held this important role until he resigned in 1988. He left his job to protest the actions of Attorney General Meese.
After leaving the Justice Department, Mr. Burns joined another law firm. He worked there for about ten years. He also wrote a book about his life called Preparing to Be Lucky. He even wrote two joke books!
Arnold Burns and the Hockey Hall of Fame
In 1993, Mr. Burns was asked to help with a big issue. It involved the Hockey Hall of Fame. Gil Stein, who was leaving his job as president of the National Hockey League, had been chosen for the Hall of Fame. But there were rumors that he had unfairly influenced the decision.
Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the National Hockey League, asked Mr. Burns and a Canadian lawyer named Yves Fortier to investigate. They looked into the claims. They found that Mr. Stein had "improperly manipulated the process." This meant he had created a false idea that someone else had nominated him. Mr. Stein denied these findings. However, he eventually decided to remove his name from consideration for the Hall of Fame.
Arnold Burns: Later Life and Legacy
Arnold Burns passed away on October 1, 2013. He was 83 years old. He died in Manhattan, New York City, from heart problems and complications from Parkinson's disease. He was married to Felice Bernstein for 62 years. They had two children, Douglas and Linda.
