Drew S. Days III facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Drew S. Days III
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| 40th Solicitor General of the United States | |
| In office June 7, 1993 – June 28, 1996 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | Ken Starr |
| Succeeded by | Seth P. Waxman |
| United States Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division | |
| In office 1977–1980 |
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| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | John Stanley Pottinger |
| Succeeded by | William Bradford Reynolds |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Drew Saunders Days III
August 29, 1941 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | November 15, 2020 (aged 79) New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Ann Langdon
(m. 1966) |
| Children |
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| Education | Hamilton College (BA) Yale University (JD) |
Drew Saunders Days III (born August 29, 1941 – died November 15, 2020) was an important American legal expert. He served as the top lawyer for the U.S. government, called the Solicitor General of the United States, from 1993 to 1996. This was during the time President Bill Clinton was in office.
Before that, he made history as the first African American to be an Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. He held this role from 1977 to 1980 under President Jimmy Carter. Mr. Days also taught law at Yale Law School for many years.
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Early Life and Education
Drew Days was born in Atlanta, Georgia. His mother, Dorothea, was a teacher, and his father, Drew Saunders Days, Jr., worked in insurance. He was related to Edwin Belcher, a state senator from Georgia during the Reconstruction era.
Days finished high school in New Rochelle, New York. He then went to Hamilton College, graduating with honors in 1963. He studied English literature there.
Inspired by the civil rights leaders of his time, Days decided to study law. He attended Yale Law School and earned his law degree in 1966. While at Yale, he was part of the Yale Russian Chorus.
After law school, he worked briefly as a lawyer in Chicago, Illinois. Then, he joined the Peace Corps and volunteered in Honduras for two years.
Fighting for Civil Rights
In 1969, Drew Days returned to the United States. He joined the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) in New York City. The LDF is a legal organization that works to protect civil rights for all people.
Days spent eight years at the LDF. During this time, he worked on many important civil rights cases. He helped fight for equal rights and justice for everyone.
Important Government Roles
In 1977, President Jimmy Carter chose Drew Days for a big job. He became the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Justice. In this role, he was in charge of making sure the nation's civil rights laws were followed. He worked hard to enforce these laws.
Days stayed in this position until 1981. After that, he joined the teaching staff at Yale Law School. In 1988, he started the Orville H. Schell Jr. Center for Human Rights at Yale Law School. He led this center until 1993. The center focuses on human rights around the world.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton asked him to serve as the Solicitor General. This is a very important legal job. As Solicitor General, Drew Days was responsible for representing the United States government in cases before the Supreme Court. He argued on behalf of the country's interests.
Later Career and Legacy
After working for President Clinton, Days went back to Yale Law School. He also worked in private law practice. He was involved in efforts to solve social and economic problems both in the U.S. and internationally. This included helping with issues like poverty and juvenile justice.
Drew Days also served as a trustee at Hamilton College, his old school. In 2011, Hamilton College opened the Days-Massolo Center. This center helps promote diversity and understanding among different cultures on campus. It was named in honor of Drew Days and another trustee, Arthur J. Massolo.
