Clifford Durr facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clifford Durr
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| Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission | |
| In office November 1, 1941 - June 30, 1948 |
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| President | Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S. Truman |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Clifford Judkins Durr
March 2, 1899 Montgomery, Alabama |
| Died | May 12, 1975 (aged 76) Elmore County, Alabama |
| Resting place | Greenwood Cemetery, Montgomery, Alabama |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Virginia Durr |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | University of Alabama (B.A.) Oxford University (B.C.L.) |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Clifford Judkins Durr (born March 2, 1899 – died May 12, 1975) was an important Alabama lawyer. He is best known for defending people who were unfairly accused of not being loyal to the country during the New Deal and McCarthy eras. He also famously represented Rosa Parks in her challenge against unfair bus segregation laws in Montgomery. This legal action helped start the 1955-1956 Montgomery Bus Boycott.
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Who Was Clifford Durr?
Clifford Durr came from a well-known family in Alabama. He studied at the University of Alabama and was even president of his class. Later, he earned a special scholarship called the Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford University in England. After finishing his law studies, he became a lawyer in Birmingham, Alabama. In 1926, he married Virginia Foster Durr, who also became a strong supporter of civil rights.
Early Life and Education
Clifford Judkins Durr was born on March 2, 1899, in Montgomery, Alabama. His grandfathers had served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Clifford went to private schools in Montgomery.
He started college at the University of Alabama, where his classmates chose him as their president. He then won the Rhodes Scholarship to study at Queen's College, Oxford University. He earned a law degree from Oxford. In 1926, Clifford married Virginia Foster. He began his law career at a firm in Birmingham, Alabama.
Working for the Government
By 1927, Clifford Durr had become a full partner in his law firm. Even during the Great Depression that started in 1929, he was doing well financially. However, he and Virginia became very aware of the unfairness around them.
In 1933, Clifford decided to leave his law firm. He suggested that senior lawyers take a pay cut to avoid firing junior staff, but others disagreed. Soon after, his brother-in-law, Senator Hugo Black, asked him to work in Washington, D.C.. Clifford joined the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, an agency helping banks. He became a strong supporter of the New Deal programs.
He left that agency in 1941 because he disagreed with how they handled defense contracts. He felt some companies were gaining too much control and unfair profits from preparing for war.
Standing Up for Fairness
President Roosevelt then appointed Durr to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This was an important job because the FCC regulated radio broadcasters. Many broadcasters were against the New Deal.
Durr worked to make sure broadcasters served the public. He wanted to set aside radio frequencies for educational programs. He also wanted to sell frequencies to more diverse groups, even if some were criticized for their political views.
In 1945, he led an FCC study. It found that radio stations often had too much advertising and not enough educational programs. The report, called the Blue Book, set rules for public service programs. These programs had to cover local culture, education, and community news.
Defending People's Rights
In 1948, Durr resigned from the FCC. He disagreed with a new rule that required a "loyalty oath" from government workers. This oath was meant to prove loyalty to the country.
Even before this, the FBI had been watching him since 1942. This was because he had defended a colleague accused of having left-wing political connections. His wife, Virginia, also strongly supported equal rights for Black people and voting rights. Their friendship with Jessica Mitford, who was part of the Communist Party, made the FBI even more interested in them.
In 1949, Durr joined the National Lawyers Guild and later became its president. The FBI increased its surveillance on him.
After leaving the FCC, Durr opened a law practice in Washington, D.C. He was one of the few lawyers willing to help federal employees who lost their jobs because of the loyalty oath program. He often took these cases without charging a fee. He defended people whether they had been involved with the Communist Party or were simply falsely accused. For example, he represented Frank Oppenheimer, the brother of famous scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, and other scientists who were investigated.
Later, Durr and his wife moved to Colorado to work for the National Farmers Union. However, his wife's political activities and his own work defending people caused him to lose that job too.
Helping the Civil Rights Movement
The Durrs then returned to Montgomery, Alabama, hoping for a quieter life. But their work for justice continued. Senator James Eastland called Clifford Durr to a hearing about the Highlander Folk School. The Durrs had been involved with this school. Clifford Durr managed to challenge the hearing, but it affected his health and his law practice. He lost many of his white clients, and the FBI watched him even more closely.
Durr continued to work as a lawyer in Montgomery. He often worked with local attorney Fred Gray. They helped Black citizens whose rights were violated. They were ready to appeal the case of Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old Black girl arrested for breaking bus segregation laws in March 1955. However, activists decided her case was not the best one to challenge the law.
So, in December 1955, Durr was ready when police arrested Rosa Parks. She had refused to give up her seat to a white man on a bus. Durr called the jail when authorities wouldn't tell E.D. Nixon the charges against Parks. Durr and his wife went with Nixon to bail her out. Then, Durr and Nixon went to Parks' home to discuss if she wanted to fight the charges.
Durr and Gray represented Rosa Parks in her appeals in state court. Fred Gray also handled the federal court case, challenging if the segregation law itself was constitutional.
Clifford Durr continued to represent activists in the Civil Rights Movement. Friends and supporters from outside the South helped him financially. He finally closed his law firm in 1964. After retiring, he gave lectures in the United States and other countries. He passed away in 1975 at his grandfather's farm.
