Frederick B. Abramson facts for kids
Frederick B. Abramson was a smart lawyer from New York. He was born in 1935 and passed away in Washington D.C. in 1991 when he was 56 years old. He was a very important person in the legal world of Washington D.C. He even led the District of Columbia Bar as its President from 1985 to 1986.
Growing Up and School
Frederick Abramson grew up in a neighborhood called Harlem in New York City. His dad worked as an elevator operator, and his mom worked with food. Even though his family didn't have a lot of money, Frederick was very bright. He got to attend a special program for talented students at Stuyvesant High School.
Later, he received a scholarship, which is like financial help for school. His sister saw it advertised in a newspaper. This scholarship allowed him to go to Cornwall Academy in Connecticut. He was the very first African-American student to attend Cornwall Academy.
After that, he received another scholarship and went to Yale University. He was one of only four African-American students in his class there. He graduated from Yale in 1956. Then, in 1959, he earned his law degree, called a Juris Doctor, from the University of Chicago Law School.
His Career as a Lawyer
Frederick Abramson decided to live and work in Washington, D.C.. He spent the rest of his life practicing law and helping to guide the legal profession.
He first worked for the U.S. Justice Department and then for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. After these jobs, he started working for private law firms. He made history by becoming one of the first Black associates in a big Washington law firm called Arnold & Porter. He worked there from 1969 to 1973.
In 1973, he became a partner at another firm, Rollinson & Schaumberg. Then, in 1977, he joined Sachs, Greenebaum & Taylor, where he stayed until 1990. In January 1991, he became the first African-American head of the Office of Bar Counsel for the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. In this important role, he oversaw investigations into lawyers who might have broken the rules of their profession. He held this position for five months before he passed away from pneumonia.
Frederick Abramson also served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the David A. Clarke School of Law. He spent nine years on the D.C. Judicial Nomination Commission, even leading it for four of those years. He was also a member of several other important groups, including the ABA Commission on Opportunities for Minorities. He also served on the boards of directors for groups like the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.
His Lasting Legacy
After Frederick Abramson passed away, people in the legal community of Washington D.C. created the Frederick B. Abramson Memorial Foundation. This foundation is now known as the Abramson Scholarship Foundation (ASF). The ASF helps promising students from D.C. public high schools. It gives them important financial aid and guidance as they attend four-year colleges.
