Francis Shackelford (September 9, 1909 – November 30, 1973) was the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

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 1950 to 1952 and Assistant Secretary of the Army (General Management) from 1952 to 1953.

Biography

Francis Shackelford was born in Georgia and educated at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

and Harvard Law School."Francis Shackelford", ''New York Times'', Dec. 7, 1973. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, he served as an

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...

in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. In 1950,

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

Harry Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

named Shackelford

, with Shackelford holding this office from July 24, 1950 until August 25, 1952.James E. Hewes, Jr., ''From Root to McNamara: Army Organization and Administration'' (1975), pp. 381-382
. On August 26, 1952, he became Assistant Secretary of the Army (General Management), holding this office until January 20, 1953. Leaving government service in 1953, Shackelford became a Managing Partner of the law firm then called Alston, Miller, Gaines, Spann, and Shackelford. The firm name was later streamlined to Alston, Miller, & Gaines. The firm is now the firm of Alston & Bird. Shackelford loved his career at Alston, Miller & Gaines to the extent that he and his partners eventually dubbed it "The Happy Firm". Shackelford also served 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 ...

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, a position he would hold until his death twenty years later. But, his true calling was his tax law work at Alston, Miller & Gaines. And, after all these decades, Alston & Bird is still called "The Happy Firm". Shackelford was married to the former Renee Marie Fletcher, and was living in tlanta, Georgiaat the time of his death. After Shackelford underwent

open heart surgery Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to c ...

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

, doctors were unable to revive him, and he died on November 30, 1973."Francis Shackelford, Truman Army Official", ''Washington Post'', Dec. 2, 1973.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shackelford, Francis 1909 births 1973 deaths General Counsels of the United States Army United States Army civilians Princeton University alumni Harvard Law School alumni United States Navy officers