Wickersham, Cornelius W. (Cornelius Wendell), 1884-

Brigadier General Cornelius Wendell Wickersham (1884-1968) was an American lawyer and military officer; he practiced law for more than forty years, and his military career stretched from the Mexicon Border skirmish of 1916 to World War II and after.

Wickersham graduated from Harvard University in 1906 and received his law degree, also from Harvard, in 1909. In 1914 he joined the firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft, founded in 1792 and today the oldest continuously-operating law firm in New York City (his father George Woodward Wickersham, an anti-trust attorney, had also been with the firm). Apart from absences for military duty, Wickersham continued to practice law for more than sixty years, eventually rising to the position of senior partner. His work included trusts, estates, and corporate reorganization and recapitalization. He was president of the Joint Conference on Legal Education in New York (1932-1940 and 1954-1958) and counsel for the Grand Jury Association of New York County. He also served on the Board of Regents for the state of New York (1953-1955).

Wickersham's military career began in 1915 when he enlisted in the New York Cavalry. From 1916-1918 he served on the U.S.-Mexican border with the 12th New York Infantry. During World War I he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and during World War II to Brigadier General. Among his many appointments, he was the first commandant and director of the School of Military Government, established in 1942 at the University of Virginia; Chief of the European Allied Contact Section, serving at Eisenhower's headquarters; and head of U.S. Group Control Council, Germany (USGCC). He served with distinction, receiving the Distinguished Service Medal (twice), the Legion of Merit, the Legion of Honor, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and the Medal of Verdun, among other honors.

From the guide to the Cornelius W. Wickersham Papers, 1912-1969, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)