William Benson Bryant
William Benson Bryant was a notable African American attorney and judge, born in Alabama in 1911 and raised in Washington, D.C. His family's move to the city was prompted by a harrowing escape from a lynch mob. Bryant's educational journey led him to graduate from Howard University in 1932 and to finish first in his law class at Howard Law School in 1935. He began his career as chief research assistant to Dr. Ralph Bunche on a pivotal study regarding race relations in the U.S. After a successful stint in private legal practice, he served as Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia from 1951 to 1954. His judicial career was marked by his appointment to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965, and he later became a professor at Howard Law School. Bryant was named chief justice of the district court in 1977 and later served as a senior judge, leaving a significant legacy in the fields of law and education.
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William Benson Bryant
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- Born: September 18, 1911
- Birthplace: Wetumpka, Alabama
- Died: November 14, 2005
Biography
William Benson Bryant was born in Alabama in 1911 but grew up in Washington, D.C. Bryant’s grandfather moved the family to Washington, escaping a white lynch mob. William’s father was a railroad porter, and his mother was a housewife. Bryant attended public schools and graduated from Howard University in 1932. He finished first in a class of five law students from Howard Law School in 1935. He married a woman named Astaire in 1937, who died in 1997.
In the late 1930’s, Bryant was chief research assistant to Dr. Ralph Bunche, an African American social scientist working with Swedish economist and sociologistGunnar Myrdal on a significant study of race relations in the United States. After many years in a successful private practice, Bryant became Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia from 1951 to 1954. He left the United States Attorney’s Office to return to private practice. President Lyndon Johnson appointed him to serve on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in 1965. That same year, Bryant became a professor at Howard Law School. He became chief justice of the district court in 1977, and later assumed duties as a senior judge.