Cornelius Wendell Wickersham

Cornelius Wendell Wickersham (June 25, 1885 – January 31, 1968) was a decorated United States Army officer with the rank of Lieutenant general; a lawyer and an award-winning author of philatelic literature. He studied at the Harvard University and practiced law for several years, before embarking for France during World War I. Wickersham served as Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations of IV Corps during Battle of Saint-Mihiel and received Army Distinguished Service Medal.

Early life

Cornelius Wendell Wickersham was born on June 25, 1885, in Greenwich, Connecticut. His parents were George W. Wickersham, an American lawyer and future United States Attorney General under President William Howard Taft, and Mildred (Wendell) Wickersham.

World War II

Wickersham was recalled to active duty in November 1940 and joined to the First Army headquarters at Governors Island, New York City as Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence under Lieutenant general Hugh A. Drum. While in this capacity, he held additional duty as Intelligence officer for Eastern Defense Command, which was commanded also by General Drum.

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States entry into World War II, Wickersham was promoted to the temporary rank of Brigadier general in January 1942 and assumed duty as Commandant of newly established School of Military Government located at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. While in this capacity, he was subordinated directly to the Provost Marshal General of the Army, Major general Allen W. Gullion and was responsible for training of officers in future detail in connection with Military Government and Liaison. Graduates assisted commanders in foreign fields in their relations with civilians. While in that assignment, Wickersham was also on special duty as an Advisor on Military Government affairs in Africa, Sicily, and Italy. For his service in that assignment, Wickersham was decorated with Legion of Merit.

Postwar career New York National Guard Following the surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945, Wickersham moved his headquarters to Berlin and assumed additional duty as an assistant to Lieutenant General Lucius D. Clay, Deputy Military-Governor of the American Zone of Occupation Germany. He was ordered back to the United States in September that year and later joined the headquarters of 42nd Infantry Division under Major General Harry J. Collins. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general on the state's reserve list.

Wickersham then resumed the practice of law in firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft and also served as counsel for Grand Jury Association of New York county and member emeritus of the American Law Institute. He was a founder of the American Legion and was its first department commander for New York. In February 1953, Wickersham was elected a member of the State Board of Regents, the governing body of the University of the State of New York. He resigned in 1955, because of the statutory age limit of 70 years for board membership.

He was meanwhile appointed again the President of the Joint Conference on Legal Education in the state of New York in 1954 and served in this capacity until 1958.

He also served as Governor of the Collectors Club, and was its president in 1956. Wickersham presided the Jury of the 1956 New York City international exhibition.

For his work in the field of philately, Wickersham was provided the following award: The Lichtenstein Medal in 1959.