Memorial Service Commemorating 50th Anniversary of Justice Jackson's Death To Be Held At St. Luke's Church
The Robert H. Jackson Center and St. Luke’s Church
are joining in a special memorial service at 10 a.m. Sunday, October 3, commemorating
the 50th anniversary of the funeral of Jamestown area native Robert H. Jackson.
Fifty years ago, on October 13, 1954, after services at the Washington National
Cathedral, Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson came home to be buried from
St. Luke’s Church. All the remaining Supreme Court Justices made the trip
from Washington by train to be present as honorary pallbearers. The eight surviving
Justices included: Hugo Black, Harold Burton, Tom Clark, William O. Douglas, Felix Frankfurter,
Sherman Minton, Stanley Reed and Chief Justice Earl Warren.
A young attorney and President of the Jamestown Bar Association in l954, Charles
Price survives as an actual pallbearer at the event. Other attorneys such as
Park Catchpole and William L. Wright, Sr. were among Jamestown lawyers who drove
each individual Justice from the Jamestown Train Station to St. Luke's for the
funeral.
In honor of the historic occasion, St. Luke’s will host with the Jackson
Center a 50th anniversary commemoration of that service with a celebration of
Jackson’s life.
The Reverend Eric M. Williams, Rector, and the Reverend Susan A. Williams, Associate
Rector, have planned the service, generally following the Episcopal Church funeral
liturgy and incorporating as many as the original lessons as can be determined.
The Williams will lead the church program.
Participating in the service as the guest preacher will be Father Moritz Fuchs,
Jackson’s bodyguard at Nuremberg. Others parts of the service will include
the participation of Mr. Price, Nuremberg Prosecutor Whitney Harris, Jackson
grandson Thomas Loftus, III, and Jackson Center Elizabeth S. Lenna Fellow, John
Q. Barrett. Board President Gregory L. Peterson and Executive Director Rolland
E. Kidder are expected to join in the program.
A distinctive addition to the service is an original piece composed by well-known
area musician and writer Gerald Heglund who will attend the ceremonies. Heglund
has selected “I Know that My Redeemer Lives” as the title of the
composition that will be sung by St. Luke’s Choir. Sixteen year old Joshua
Stafford will act as organist.
St. Luke’s Church invites those who attend to a reception following the
memorial service.
In commenting about the service, the Reverend Susan A. Williams said, “St.
Luke’s is pleased and proud that Robert H. Jackson was buried from our
church fifty years ago and that he maintained his St. Luke’s membership
while living in Washington. We are happy to be participating in this special
service and hope that members of the general public will feel welcome to visit
St. Luke’s for this very public occasion in tribute to one of Jamestown’s
unique citizens.”
Gregory Peterson, Jackson Center Board President, explained that the memorial
service completes a weekend visit to Jamestown by Nuremberg Prosecutor and Jackson
colleague Whitney Harris who will speak at noon, Friday, October l, in the Carl
Cappa Theater of the Jackson Center. The Tragedy of War is a book written by
Harris on which his speech will be based.
“Copies of The Tragedy of War will be distributed free-of-charge to those
who attend the speech,” notes Mr. Peterson. “Also, a public luncheon
reception follows the speech, thanks to the generosity of the Jamestown Bar
Association, MRC Bearings and SKF and Young Title Agency.”
Jackson Center Executive Director Rolland E. Kidder announced that another Nuremberg
Prosecutor, Henry L. King, also is traveling to Jamestown to attend Mr. Harris’
Friday noon program.
St. Luke’s Church is located at 410 Main Street, Jamestown and at StLuke@madbbs.com.
The site includes original photographs of the l954 funeral which is part of
the church archives.