Ernest Angell facts for kids

Ernest Angell (June 1, 1889 – January 11, 1973) was an American lawyer and writer. He is best known for leading the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for 19 years. He was the president of this important organization from 1950 to 1969. The ACLU works to protect the rights and freedoms of people in the United States.

Early Life and Education

Ernest Angell was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 1, 1889. His father was a lawyer. Sadly, when Ernest was only nine years old, his father died in a ship accident.

Ernest went to Harvard College and graduated in 1911. He was a very good student and was chosen for Phi Beta Kappa, an honor society. He then studied law at Harvard Law School, finishing in 1913. Later, in 1954, he received another special degree from Bard College.

Career Highlights

Ernest Angell had a long and interesting career. He served his country and worked to protect people's rights.

Military Service

During World War I, Ernest Angell joined the U.S. Army. He served as an infantry Captain in Europe. He was part of the American Expeditionary Force.

Legal and Government Work

After the war, Angell became a lawyer in New York City. He worked with several law firms, focusing on corporation law. This type of law deals with how businesses are set up and run.

From 1936 to 1938, he worked for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC is a government agency that helps make sure financial markets are fair and honest. He was a regional administrator for New York. He also wrote a short book about the Supreme Court, called Supreme Court Primer.

In 1941, he became the president of the Council for Democracy. This group was formed to support democratic ideas. Later, in 1948, he led a special board for the U.S. Civil Service Commission. This board helped check the loyalty of people working for international organizations in New York and New Jersey.

Leading the ACLU

Ernest Angell's most famous role was as president of the American Civil Liberties Union. He took over from Dr. John Haynes Holmes in 1950. The ACLU is a non-profit group that works to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in the United States by the Constitution and laws of the country.

Angell led the ACLU for nearly two decades. He retired in 1969, and Edward Ennis became the next president.

Family Life

Ernest Angell was married twice and had several children.

In 1915, he married Katharine Sergeant. She was a writer and editor for The New Yorker magazine. They had two children together:

• Roger Angell (1920–2022), who became a well-known writer.
• Nancy Angell (1916–1996), who worked as a science department head at a school.

Ernest and Katharine divorced in 1929. Katharine later married the famous writer E. B. White.

In 1939, Ernest Angell married his second wife, Elizabeth Brosius Higgins Chapin. They had two children together:

• Christopher Curtis Angell
• Abigail Brosius Angell

Ernest Angell passed away on January 11, 1973, in New York City. He was 83 years old and had been dealing with heart problems.