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Jamestown High School Dedication

On Friday evening, November 15, 1935, Robert Jackson spoke at the dedication of the newly-constructed Jamestown High School building. His speech is contained in his papers in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., Box 32.

The Supreme Court in the American System of Government

In March 1954 the Harvard Graduate School of Public Administration invited Mr. Justice Jackson to become the Godkin Lecturer for the academic year 1954-1955. The Justice accepted and chose as his topic for the three lectures, “The Supreme Court in the American System of Government.” February of 1955 was tentatively set as the date for delivery. The Justice began outlining his subject and formulating his ideas soon after he accepted the invitation, and by the end of summer, 1954, he had completed six drafts of the first lecture and two of the second and third. He then reorganized the whole and wrote one more draft of the first two lectures and two partial redrafts of the third. Mr. Justice Jackson died suddenly on October 9, 1954.

Address to the Daughters of the American Revolution

It is interesting to see so many uncompromising conservatives assembled in memory of a revolution and to see many who a year ago almost shuddered at the thought of a mere change of administration gathered here to commemorate the birth of Washington, who overthrew the established government by bloodshed to give the American of his day a "New Deal". It is one of those strange traits of human nature that very often those strongest for ancestral revolts are strongest against present ones, those more ardent for the first revolution are most cold to the latest one.

Address to Swedish Chamber of Commerce of the United States

It would be an unwarranted presumption for me, after a few weeks'visit in Sweden, to attempt to tell you, who know the country much better than I, about conditions there. It cannot be presumptuous, however, to tell you how those things impressed me. I began with a fair knowledge of the Swedish people and their activities in this country and with my own ancestry so long rooted in America that I have neither racial pride in, nor racial prejudice against, any European State.

Philosophy of Big Business

As students of political science we must try to understand the philosophy of big business. Unfortunately, no acknowledged business leader has formulated its doctrine or been its spokesman in the sense that Marx spoke for socialism, Lenin for communism and Jefferson or Roosevelt for democracy.

Maryland at the Supreme Court Bar

So I shall ask you to bear with us while we indulge our lawyerly trait of discussing law suits. We shall prefer to discuss our own rather than to discuss those which some other men may have tried. In studying constitutional issues in the Supreme Court I became vaguely aware that Maryland has been one of the most frequent of its litigants and had participated in some of the most significant cases which have shaped our constitutional doctrine. I have taken this occasion to review the Supreme Court annals to see how well, by its record in litigation, Maryland has vindicated its designation as "The Free State".

A Square Deal for the Court

The Constitution is a short document; together with its amendments it is only about 10 pages long. This is much shorter than most of the important statues. It is also, I fear, shorter than is my written address tonight. Since the Constitution is so short, and since the founders of our nation realized they should not attempt to deal too specifically with the problems of the distant future, its commands are cast in very general language.

The Challenge of International Lawlessness

We lawyers would commit only a pardonable larceny if we should appropriate as an affirmation of the ideals of the legal profession a prayer from ancient liturgy:... As men experienced in the conduct of legal institutions which, among men, have largely displaced violence by adjudication, we should have some practical competence in measures to maintain justice among nations.

Franklin Roosevelt

No other event could bow so many human heads in a common sorrow and a sense of personal loss. Throughout the land, by countless humble firesides people feel less secure today because he is gone; for, while he walked with Kings, they knew that he never lost the common touch; that he was their friend and advocate; that while he lived there would be no forgotten man. Neither sea nor land stretched far enough to get out of range of his sympathy and understanding.

Opening Statement before the International Military Tribunal

On November 21, 1945, in the Palace of Justice at Nuremberg, Germany, Justice Robert H. Jackson, Chief of Counsel for the United States, made his opening statement to the International Military Tribunal.