Earl G. Harrison facts for kids

Earl Grant Harrison (April 27, 1899 – July 28, 1955) was an American lawyer, university leader, and public servant. He is best known for helping people who lost their homes after World War II. He wrote a special report for President Harry S. Truman about Jewish refugees. This report is often called the Harrison Report. He was also the leader (Dean) of the University of Pennsylvania Law School from 1945 to 1948.

Early Life and Education

Earl Grant Harrison was born in Frankford, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 27, 1899. His father was from England, and his mother was from Northern Ireland.

During World War I, he was a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry in 1918. He finished high school at Frankford High School. He then went to the University of Pennsylvania, where he was the top student in his class, graduating in 1920.

He continued his studies at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, earning his law degree in 1923. After law school, he worked as a lawyer at a firm called Saul, Ewing, Remick, and Saul from 1923 to 1945. He became a partner there in 1932. In 1944, he was chosen to be the Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Working for the Government

Harrison served in the government under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. From July 1940 to January 1941, he was the Director of Alien Registration in the United States Department of Justice. This role involved keeping records of non-citizens.

From 1942 to 1944, he was the United States Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization. This job meant he was in charge of how people entered and became citizens of the U.S. During his time, the Immigration and Naturalization Service was changed and reorganized.

The Harrison Report

In 1945, President Roosevelt asked Harrison to be the U.S. representative on a group called the Intergovernmental Commission on Refugees. This group helped people who had to leave their homes.

On June 22, President Harry S. Truman asked Harrison to visit camps in Europe. These camps held "displaced persons" (DPs). These were people who had been forced to leave their homes because of World War II.

Harrison traveled to Europe in early July with a small team. They visited more than two dozen camps for displaced persons. He then wrote a report about what he found. This report, dated August 24, highlighted the difficult conditions and needs of these refugees, especially Jewish survivors of the Holocaust.

Later Career and Public Service

In 1946, Harrison helped a Black student who was not allowed into the University of Texas Law School. This case, called Sweatt v. Painter, was an important step before the famous Brown v. Board of Education case, which ended segregation in schools.

Harrison left his role as Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1948. He then joined a law firm called Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis, where he worked until he passed away in 1955.

Earl Grant Harrison was known for always helping his community and for his dedication to public service. People described him as a tireless worker. Besides his government and law work, he was involved in many organizations. He was an officer for the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia and led campaigns for the Philadelphia United War Chest, which later became the United Way. He also served as a director for groups like the National Conference of Christians and Jews, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the NAACP. He was a trustee for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and for the University of Pennsylvania.

He died on July 28, 1955.