Alfred Bradley Fitt (April 12, 1923 – July 7, 1992) was an American attorney who served as

General Counsel of the Army The General Counsel of the Army (also known as the Army General Counsel, abbreviated AGC) is the chief legal officer of the U.S. Department of the Army and senior legal advisor to the Secretary of the Army. U.S. law provides that the General Co ...

from 1964 to 1967, as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs from 1967 to 1969, and as

general counsel A general counsel, also known as chief counsel or chief legal officer (CLO), is the chief in-house lawyer for a company or a governmental department. In a company, the person holding the position typically reports directly to the CEO, and their ...

of the

Congressional Budget Office The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency within the United States Congress, legislative branch of the United States government that provides budget and economic information to Congress. Ins ...

from 1975 to 1992.

Early life and education

Alfred B. Fitt was born in Highland Park, Illinois, on April 12, 1923.Lyndon Baines Johnson Library Oral History Collection, Interview with Alfred B. Fitt, 1968
/ref> He was educated at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

, receiving a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

in 1946. He then attended the

University of Michigan Law School The University of Michigan Law School (Michigan Law) is the law school of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1859, the school offers Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Comparative Law (MCL ...

, received a

LLB Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

in 1948. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1948.

Career

In 1948, Fitt became an associate at the

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

law firm of Lewis & Watkins. He became a partner in the firm in 1952. In 1954, he left Lewis & Watkins to become a legal adviser to the governor of Michigan, G. Mennen Williams. In 1960, he moved to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, to become associate counsel of the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts. In 1961, he became chief counsel of the Special Committee on

FAA The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

Procedures. Later in 1961, Fitt joined the

United States Department of the Army The United States Department of the Army (DA) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the U.S. The Department of the Army is the federal government agency within which the United States Army (U.S.) is or ...

as Deputy Under Secretary of the Army for Manpower. He served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Civil Rights as 1963 to 1964. From 1964 to 1967, he served as

. He was Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs from October 9, 1967, to February 20, 1969. Fitt was heavily involved in the execution of the manpower programs Project 100,000 and Project Transition in the Johnson administration. Fitt continued to communicate with former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara on the progress of these programs given McNamara's personal devotion to them. Fitt left government service in 1969 to become President of Yale

Kingman Brewster Jr. Kingman Brewster Jr. (June 17, 1919 – November 8, 1988) was an American educator, academic and diplomat. He served as the 17th President of Yale University and as United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Early life Brewster was born in ...

's special assistant for community and alumni affairs. In 1975, Fitt left Yale to become

of the

, a position he would hold for the next seventeen years."Alfred B. Fitt Dies; Counsel to Congressional Budget Office", ''Washington Post'', July 9, 1992
/ref>

Personal life

Fitt was married twice. His second wife, Lois Dickson Rice (1933–2017), married Fitt in 1977, four years after her divorce from

Emmett J. Rice Emmett John Rice (December 21, 1919 – March 10, 2011) was an American economist, academic, bank executive, and member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. He served with the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, taught at Cornell University ...

, making Fitt the stepfather of Susan Rice. Fitt died on July 7, 1992, at the age of 69.

Works

*"The National Guard and Civil Disturbance", ''City'' (August/September 1970), pp. 41–43. *"The Buckley Amendment: Understanding It, Living with It", ''The College Board Review'', No. 96, Summer 1975, 2 & 3 *''Social Security Benefits for Students'' (1977). *"In Search of a Just Outcome", ''Change'', Vol. 9, No. 10 (Oct., 1977), pp. 22–25, 59.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitt, Alfred B. 1923 births 1992 deaths People from Highland Park, Illinois General Counsels of the United States Army Michigan lawyers Yale University alumni University of Michigan Law School alumni Writers from Illinois Writers from Michigan 20th-century American lawyers United States Assistant Secretaries of Defense