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This article is about a person who has recently died. Some information, such as that pertaining to the circumstances of the person's death and surrounding events, may change rapidly as more facts become known. Griffin Bell 72nd United States Attorney General In office 1977 – 1979 Preceded by Edward H. Levi Succeeded Americus, Georgia, United States Died January 5, 2009 (aged 90)[1] Political party Democratic Alma mater Georgia Southwestern College Walter F. George School of Law (Mercer University) Military service Service/branch United States Army Years of service 1942-1946 Unit Quartermaster Corps Battles/wars World War II Griffin Boyette Bell (October 31, 1918 – January 5, 2009) was an American lawyer and former United States Attorney General. He served as the nation's 72nd Attorney General during the Carter administration. He was an attorney with the law firm King & Spalding. Contents [hide] 1 Early years and legal practice. 2 Political career 3 Society 4 Death 5 Honors and awards 6 See also 7 Sources 8 References // Early years and legal practice. Bell was born in Americus, Georgia, He attended several public schools before enrolling at the Georgia Southwestern College and then at the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. During World War II, Bell served in the United States Army Quartermaster Corps from 1942 to 1946. Bell served as city attorney of Warner Robins, Georgia while still in school. He practiced law at King & Spalding in Georgia from 1948 to 1961. He returned Political career President John F. Kennedy appointed Bell, who had been the co-chairman of Kennedy's presidential campaign in Georgia, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in 1961. He served for more than fourteen years on the Fifth Circuit. He often played an instrumental role in mediating disputes between the court's factions during the peak of the American Civil Rights Movement. He resigned from the court on March 1976 to resume his law practice at King & Spalding. In December 1976, President Jimmy Carter nominated him to become the 72nd Attorney General of the United States. He served until August 1979. His Watergate-era nomination was initially controversial because he was a Southerner and a personal friend of the President. However, by the time he left office, Bell had allayed the concerns and won the praise of most of his critics in the United States Senate and the media. He was credited with bringing needed independence and professionalism to the Department of Justice. Unprecedented and not duplicated since, Bell posted publicly every day his third party contacts, including meetings and calls with the White House, | ||||
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