Life and career Kingman Brewster Jr.

1 life , career

1.1 life
1.2 marriage , family
1.3 education , war years
1.4 career

1.4.1 marshall plan
1.4.2 massachusetts institute of technology
1.4.3 harvard university
1.4.4 yale

1.4.4.1 wallace affair
1.4.4.2 black panthers
1.4.4.3 vietnam war
1.4.4.4 admissions




1.5 diplomatic career
1.6 post diplomatic career
1.7 master of university college, oxford
1.8 quotations
1.9 honors awarded
1.10 works
1.11 death

life , career
early life

brewster born in longmeadow, massachusetts, son of florence foster (née besse), 1907 phi beta kappa graduate of wellesley college, , kingman brewster, sr., 1906 phi beta kappa graduate of amherst college , 1911 graduate of harvard law school. direct lineal descendant of elder william brewster (c. 1567 - april 10, 1644), mayflower passenger, pilgrim colonist leader, , spiritual elder of plymouth colony, through son jonathan brewster; descended mayflower passenger john howland. grandson of charles kingman brewster , celina sophia baldwin, , lyman waterman besse , henrietta louisa segee. maternal grandfather, lyman w. besse, owned extensive chain of clothing stores in northeast known besse system.

in 1923, when 4, parents separated , later divorced. , surviving sister, mary, raised mother first in springfield, massachusetts , later in cambridge, massachusetts. mother firm influence never overbearing. 1 of brewster s friends characterized 1 of people presence felt when in room . friend remembered knew poetry, knew music, knew art, knew architecture, , believe me, knew kingman.

brewster wrote mother marvelously speculative , philosophical type, free-thinking spirit...given far-out enthusiasms , delighting in sprightly arguments more intellectually conventional friends.

his mother remarried in 1932 edward ballantine, music professor @ harvard university , composer had known since childhood. brewster was, however, without real father role, until uncle, arthur besse, stepped role. besse accounts surrogate father; 1 of besse s sons described him man of tremendous warmth , honesty, generous , wonderfully moral person. brewster described stepfather marvelous, , sensitive point of vulnerability. besse had no children of own , did not want play fatherly role.

marriage , family

in 1942, while serving in armed services, brewster married mary louise phillips in jacksonville, florida. phillips born august 30, 1920 in providence, rhode island, daughter of mary , eugene james phillips, (he 1905 graduate of yale college, , 1907 graduate of yale law school). graduated in 1939 wheeler school , attended did not graduate vassar college. died on april 14, 2004 @ home in combe, berkshire, england @ age 83. buried next husband in grove street cemetery.

brewster , wife had 5 children. granddaughter actress jordana brewster. first cousin janet huntington brewster (september 18, 1910 –december 18, 1998) american philanthropist, writer, radio broadcaster , relief worker during world war ii in london. married edward r. murrow (april 25, 1908 – april 27, 1965) american broadcast journalist. uncle, stanley king, (may 11, 1883 – april 28, 1951) eleventh president of amherst college. held position 1932 1946.

education , war years

after graduating belmont hill school in belmont, massachusetts, brewster entered yale university, graduating in 1941 chairman of yale daily news. junior year, turned down offer of membership in skull , bones becoming legend in yale undergraduate lore.

like many students @ time, ardent opponent of america s intervention world war ii , outspoken isolationist. idolized fellow isolationist charles lindbergh. entranced trans-atlantic flight, , remained, in words, bug-eyed aviation entire life. invited lindbergh in 1940 speak @ yale. @ time of invitation, lindbergh nation s best-known isolationist , prominent private citizen advocating keep america out of war. , lindbergh strategized on afc.

with fall of france, founded america first committee (afc) along other students @ yale. founding members of afc included many of east coast universities best , brightest, valedictorians football all-americans campus newspaper editors. many of these men later achieved national reputations. included future president gerald ford; first director of peace corps sargent shriver; future supreme court justice potter stewart, , congressman jonathan brewster bingham. afc became prominent organization in struggle keep america out of european war.

brewster took great care ensure noninterventionist movement on campus not led social outcasts or malcontents students had attained relative respect , prominence during undergraduate years . emphasized again , again group represented mainstream campus opinion, , views in agreement great majority of americans of ages .

before end of senior year, had officially resigned committee after passage of lend-lease act. said @ time, still believe outrageous commit country outcome of war abroad , wish limit commitment as possible, wrote potter stewart, question on not 1 of principle 1 of military strategy , administrative policy. since passage of lend-lease law, there no room avowed pressure group huing [sic] dogmatic line. whether or not america has decided ends are, , question of means not longer legislative matter. national pressure group therefore not aiming determine policy, seeking obstruct it. cannot part of effort.

with attack on pearl harbor on morning of sunday, december 7, 1941, volunteered service in u.s. navy. during world war ii navy aviator , flew on submarine-hunting patrols on atlantic. served in u.s. navy 1942 1946. after war entered harvard law school, becoming note editor , treasurer of harvard law review. in 1948, received law degree magna cum laude harvard law school.

career
marshall plan

brewster s first job after graduating accompany professor milton katz paris, france serve assistant @ european headquarters of marshall plan. professor katz, teacher , scholar of international law @ harvard law school , administrator of united states marshall plan. though flourished in job, stayed 1 year, returning in 1949 -at katz s advice- research associate in mit s department of economics , social science.

massachusetts institute of technology

from 1949 , 1950, brewster research associate in department of economics , social science @ massachusetts institute of technology.

harvard university

from 1950 1953, assistant professor of law @ harvard university, , 1953 1960 full professor @ harvard law school.

yale

in 1960, brewster accepted post of provost @ yale, serving 1960 1963. after death of yale s president, a. whitney griswold, despite fact brewster considered griswold s logical successor, yale conducted lengthy, open, , agonizing (for brewster) search lasted 5 months. on october 11, 1963, yale corporation offered him presidency vote of 13-2; opposition came 2 senior members of corporation feared liberal republican push hard change in beloved institution. served president of yale university 1963 1977.

brewster known improvements made yale s faculty, curriculum, , admissions policies. president of university when yale began admitting women undergraduates. academic programs in various disciplines expanded. president when faculty voted terminate academic credit reserve officers training corps (r.o.t.c.) program in june 1971 due belief rotc program made university complicit in war in vietnam. alumni relations grew testy @ times, yet fundraising increased throughout tenure.

brewster s appointment of liberal theologian rev. william sloane coffin post of university chaplain described in coffin s autobiography, once every man. after appointment, coffin, former cia operative, williams college chaplain , skull & bones alum, became ardent anti-war activist. in 1967, along benjamin spock, yale 1925, organized mass protest in boston, massachusetts , sent hundreds of draft cards u.s. justice department in washington, d.c. when brewster defended coffin, arrested in 1968 spock encouraging draft resistance, did citing academic freedom. action complicated dealings increasingly wary alumni association.

brewster chairman of national policy panel of united nations in 1968. member of president s commission on selective service in 1966 , 1967 , of president s commission on law enforcement , administration of justice 1965 1967.

wallace affair

in 1963, governor george wallace invited yale political union speak @ yale. provost brewster asked yale political union revoke invitation security reasons. result massive outcry across campus. woodward report on free speech, commissioned brewster in 1974 issued in 1975. historian c. vann woodward chaired committee. committee labeled so-called “wallace affair” outright failure.

black panthers

on april 23, 1970, during new haven black panther trials, brewster spoke faculty @ yale. remarks, leaked press, made day follow him rest of life: “i appalled , ashamed things should have come such pass in country skeptical of ability of black revolutionaries achieve fair trial anywhere in united states.” remark, made 1 week before tumultuous may day protests of black panther trials, decried in editorials , speeches across country. vice president spiro t. agnew jumped fray calling brewster’s immediate resignation.

mcgeorge bundy, president of ford foundation, addressed yale club of boston days before may day demonstrations , assured fellow alumni 1 of things have observed friend brewster deal , surrender responsibilities nobody. brewster inevitably judged on may day s outcome because had opened university coming new haven support panthers, offering them food , shelter. brewster knew that, in face of potential catastrophe, had support of other leaders cast same mold, friends , colleagues shared background , outlook.

on may 1, 1970, @ ten minutes before midnight, bombers exploded 3 devices in yale hockey rink. protesters threw rocks , bottles @ national guardsmen , taunted new haven police. authorities responded tear-gassing demonstrators. yale chaplain, william sloane coffin, stated, of conspired bring on tragedy law enforcement agencies illegal acts against panthers, , rest of our immoral silence in front of these acts. fortunately, there no fatalities evening.

president richard nixon commenting on events of may 1, 1970 shah of iran, mohammad reza pahlavi, stated fair students, not entirely blamed actions day. can expect of students if person in position , of stature (brewster) engages in such acts? henry kissinger, sitting few chairs away mused aloud brewster 1 man assassination benefit united states. brewster s handling of may day demonstrations , actions after crisis made him target of nixon white house.

vietnam war

he known skillful handling of student protests on yale campus during vietnam war era, war openly criticized , opposed. never allowed such convictions disrupt university’s operations, classes. bold stewardship of university during era of political unrest regarded successful.

on may 12, 1972, brewster made public statement, printed in full on front page of yale daily news, prior campus visit richard nixon’s secretary of state william p. rogers. @ once uncompromising upholding free speech , unrestrained in showing discontent nixon administration. brewster, on 1 hand, threatened expel students might bar rogers speaking. still, said “expects” disciplined picketing , asked students appropriately protest rogers’ appearance. in end, rogers unexpectedly canceled appearance unknown reasons.

admissions

as yale s president, appointed r. inslee clark jr. ( inky ) director of undergraduate admissions. under tenure, established academic credentials in admissions process , proportion of undergraduate african-americans, jews, , public high school graduates @ yale rose. despite alumni outrage on these policy changes, clark held position 1965 1970.

no aspect of brewster s presidency stirred more anger , debate overhaul of yale s undergraduate admissions policy in 1960s. had made clear beginning of presidency not going preside on finishing school on long island sound. admissions became battleground on university s true purpose. outcome of battle, felt far beyond new haven, part of larger struggles in american society, thorny debate on race, class, gender , leadership.

diplomatic career

while serving yale s president, nominated president jimmy carter on april 7, 1977 serve u.s. ambassador court of st. james. confirmed united states senate on april 29, 1977 , served 1977 1981. secretary of state cyrus vance, member of yale corporation, , close personal friend, recommended him president carter position. despite lack of diplomatic experience, british press pleased appointment, calling brewster potentially best ambassador since david k. e. bruce. described him new england patrician , expressed delight @ gold ring family motto in norman french. role, said @ time, trying advise government on british attitudes , concerns in fullest way possible.

he wasted no time in beginning new responsibilities. called step in , resolve difficulties between united nations ambassador andrew young , british foreign office. followed smoothing out american/british difficulties on policy toward rhodesia (zimbabwe), helped lead end of minority white rule in country. reveled in life of london , took advantage of range of social occasions dinner elizabeth ii of united kingdom quaffing pint of ale in working class pub, saying, becoming aware of richness , variety here lot of fun.

post diplomatic career

after stepping down ambassador in 1981, brewster associated new york-based law firm of winthrop, stimson, putnam & roberts. in 1984, became resident partner in london.

master of university college, oxford

in 1986, brewster appointed master of university college, oxford, serving 1986 until death in oxford in 1988. during period, chairman of board of united world colleges.

quotations

if take refuge in ambiguity, assure s quite conscious.
incomprehensible jargon hallmark of profession.
there no lasting hope in violence, temporary relief hopelessness.
won t make quiet life make interesting paper vastly more significant because doing daily paper can do.
judgment more skill. sets forth on intellectual seas beyond shores of hard indisputable factual information.
maybe cool generation. if coolness means capacity stay calm , use head in service of ends passionately believed in, has admiration.
function of briefing paper prevent ambassador saying dreadfully indiscreet. think true object prevent ambassador saying @ all.
newspaper fits reader s program while listener must fit broadcaster s program.
there no greater challenge have relying upon you; no greater satisfaction vindicate expectation.
universities should safe havens ruthless examination of realities not distorted aim please or inhibited risk of displeasure.
live in televised goldfish bowl.
while spoken word can travel faster, can t take home in hand. written word can absorbed wholly @ convenience of reader.

personal attendance anglophile , sax-aphone speech commonwealth society, london, 1978

honors awarded

brewster elected fellow of american academy of arts , sciences in 1956. received several honorary doctor of laws degrees. awarded princeton university in 1964; university of pennsylvania in 1965; boston college in 1968;michigan state university in 1969. , yale university in 1973.

in may 1979 brewster awarded honorary degree british open university doctor of university. in 1979, awarded honorary doctorate university of oxford.

works

he author of anti-trust , american business abroad (1969) , coauthor of law of international transactions , relations (1960).

death

he died on november 8, 1988 @ john radcliffe hospital in oxford, england. buried in grove street cemetery in new haven, connecticut.