Ramsey Clark facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ramsey Clark
Clark in 1968
66th United States Attorney General
In office November 28, 1966 – January 20, 1969 Acting: November 28, 1966 – March 10, 1967
President	Lyndon B. Johnson
Deputy	Warren Christopher
Preceded by	Nicholas Katzenbach
Succeeded by	John N. Mitchell
8th United States Deputy Attorney General
In office January 28, 1965 – March 10, 1967
President	Lyndon B. Johnson
Preceded by	Nicholas Katzenbach
Succeeded by	Warren Christopher
United States Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division
In office 1961–1965
President	John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson
Preceded by	Perry W. Morton
Succeeded by	Edwin L. Weisl Jr.
Personal details
Born	William Ramsey Clark (1927-12-18)December 18, 1927 Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Died	April 9, 2021(2021-04-09) (aged 93) New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Georgia Welch ​ ​ (m. 1949; her death 2010)​
Children	2
Relatives	Tom Clark (father) William F. Ramsey (grandfather)
Education	University of Texas, Austin (BA) University of Chicago (MA, JD)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1945–1946

William Ramsey Clark (December 18, 1927 – April 9, 2021) was an American lawyer, activist, and government official. He worked in important roles for the United States Department of Justice under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He served as the United States Attorney General from 1967 to 1969. Before that, he was the Deputy Attorney General and Assistant Attorney General.

As Attorney General, Clark was known for being against the death penalty. He strongly supported civil liberties and civil rights. He also worked to make sure business laws were fair. Clark helped write important laws like the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968.

After leaving government, Clark became involved in many campaigns for social change. He often gave legal advice or defended people in court. He passed away in 2021.

Ramsey Clark's Early Life and Education

Ramsey Clark was born in Dallas, Texas, on December 18, 1927. His father, Tom C. Clark, was also a famous lawyer. His father served as the U.S. Attorney General and later became a Supreme Court Justice. Ramsey's grandfather was also a judge.

Clark went to Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C. At 17, he left school to join the United States Marine Corps. He served in Europe during the last months of World War II until 1946. After the war, he went to college. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1949. He then got a Master of Arts degree and a law degree from the University of Chicago in 1950 and 1951.

He became a lawyer in Texas in 1950. From 1951 to 1961, he worked at his father's law firm.

Working in Government: Kennedy and Johnson Years

Attorney General Clark and President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967

During the presidencies of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, Ramsey Clark held important jobs in the Justice Department. From 1961 to 1965, he was an Assistant Attorney General. He was in charge of the Lands Division, which dealt with government land issues. Then, from 1965 to 1967, he served as the Deputy Attorney General.

In 1967, President Johnson chose him to be the United States Attorney General. The Senate approved his appointment. People saw Clark as a skilled and independent leader. He was known for being a "New Frontier liberal," meaning he supported new ideas for social progress. He had a strong record of success, especially in managing the Justice Department's Lands Division. He made his division more efficient and even saved money.

During his time at the Justice Department, Clark played a big part in the civil rights movement. He helped:

• Oversee federal officials at the University of Mississippi when James Meredith became the first African American student there.
• Check on all school districts in the Southern U.S. that were ending segregation.
• Make sure federal rules protected the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches.
• Lead a special team to Watts after riots happened there in 1965.
• Oversee the creation and passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968.

As Attorney General, Clark also oversaw a case involving people who opposed the Vietnam War. He later said he regretted that the government won the case. Clark served as Attorney General until President Johnson's term ended in 1969.

Ramsey Clark's Work After Government

After leaving his government job, Ramsey Clark taught law at universities. He was also very active in the movement against the Vietnam War. In 1972, he visited North Vietnam to protest the bombing there.

Clark also ran for U.S. Senator in New York in 1974 and 1976, but he did not win.

In 1979, during the Iranian hostage crisis, President Jimmy Carter asked Clark to go to Iran to try and negotiate for the release of American hostages. However, Iranian leaders would not let him enter the country. Clark went to Iran again in 1980, without permission from President Carter. He spoke about the hostages and also criticized past U.S. support for the former leader of Iran.

International Activism and Legal Defense

Ramsey Clark became well-known for his international activism. He often spoke out against wars and supported human rights around the world.

In 1991, Clark's group, the Coalition to Stop U.S. Intervention in the Middle East, was against the U.S.-led war and economic penalties against Iraq. He accused U.S. leaders of "crimes against peace" and "war crimes" for their actions. He also criticized NATO's actions in Yugoslavia in 1999.

As a lawyer, Clark was sometimes criticized for defending very controversial people, including foreign leaders. However, Clark believed that everyone deserved a fair trial. He stood by his clients, no matter what they were accused of.

In 2004, Clark joined a team of lawyers to defend Saddam Hussein in his trial in Iraq. Clark argued that the trial was not fair because it was set up after the U.S. war in Iraq. He said that for peace to happen, trials must be seen as "absolutely fair." Many human rights groups also criticized Saddam's trial for not being fair.

In 2006, Clark attended the funeral of Slobodan Milošević, a former leader. He said that Milošević's trial was also unfair. Clark believed that both Milošević and Saddam Hussein were brave leaders who fought against more powerful countries.

Ramsey Clark speaks at an anti-war protest in Washington, D.C., in 2010.

In 2007, Clark visited Nandigram in India, where there had been conflict between government forces and villagers. In an interview that year, he said that the "War on Terrorism" was a "war against Islam." In 2009, he spoke at a UN conference and discussed human rights issues related to Israel.

Ramsey Clark received several awards for his work. In 1992, he received the Gandhi Peace Award. In 1999, he received an honorary degree from Belgrade University. In 2008, the United Nations gave him its United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights for his strong belief in human rights and fair trials for everyone.

Efforts to Impeach George W. Bush

In 2002, Clark started an organization called "VoteToImpeach." This group wanted to remove President George W. Bush and some members of his team from office. Clark tried to get the House of Representatives to start impeachment proceedings against Bush.

His organization created its own reasons for impeachment. They argued that Bush and others had violated the U.S. Constitution. They claimed these actions were "crimes against peace and humanity." VoteToImpeach said they collected over one million signatures supporting impeachment by 2009.

Ramsey Clark's Notable Clients

As a lawyer, Ramsey Clark provided legal help to many people, including some very controversial figures. He believed that everyone deserved a fair trial.

When he defended Saddam Hussein, Clark said that a fair trial was important for historical truth. He felt that the trial might not be fair and could cause more anger in Iraq. He believed that to achieve peace, the idea of "victor's justice" (where the winners of a conflict decide what is fair) must end.

Some of the people Ramsey Clark helped as a lawyer include:

• Lori Berenson, an American accused of supporting a group in Peru.
• Father Philip Berrigan, a Catholic priest and anti-war activist. Clark defended him and won the case.
• Jennifer Casolo, a church worker accused in El Salvador. Clark helped her defense, and she was released.
• Radovan Karadžić, a former politician from Bosnia. Clark represented him in a lawsuit about human rights issues.
• About 100 survivors and relatives from the Branch Davidian group. Clark represented them in a lawsuit after a tragic event in Waco, Texas.
• Lyndon LaRouche, a political figure.
• Leonard Peltier, an American Indian Movement prisoner.
• Elizaphan Ntakirutimana, a leader from the Rwandan genocide.
• Leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization in a lawsuit.
• Charles Taylor, a former leader of Liberia.

Personal Life

Ramsey Clark married Georgia Welch in 1949. They had two children, Ronda and Tom. His wife passed away in 2010, and his son Tom passed away in 2013. Ramsey Clark lived in Greenwich Village in New York City. He died there on April 9, 2021, at the age of 93.

Images for kids

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  Ramsey Clark visiting Nandigram, India, November 2007

See also

In Spanish: Ramsey Clark para niños

• List of peace activists