Cornelius Wendell Wickersham

Cornelius Wendell Wickersham

Cornelius Wendell Wickersham as a brigadier general
Born (1885-06-25)June 25, 1885
Greenwich, Connecticut
Died January 31, 1968(1968-01-31) (aged 82)
Mineola, New York
Allegiance  United States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service 1915–1946
Rank Brigadier General
Commands held Commandant of School of Military Government
Battles/wars

Pancho Villa Expedition
World War I

World War II
Awards Distinguished Service Medal (2)
Legion of Merit
Relations George W. Wickersham (father)
Other work Lawyer
Governor of the Collectors Club

Cornelius Wendell Wickersham (June 25, 1885 – January 31, 1968)[1] was a United States army officer, a lawyer and an award-winning author of philatelic literature.

Lawyer

Cornelius Wendell Wickersham was born on June 25, 1885 in Greenwich, Connecticut as a son of George W. Wickersham, an American lawyer and future United States Attorney General.

In 1906 Wickershem graduated from Harvard. In 1909 he obtained his law degree from the same university.[1] In 1914 he joined the Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, law firm in New York City in which his father was a partner.

He practised law for a sixty-year career at Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft in New York City where his father worked. He ended a senior partner in that firm.[1]

Military career

Enlisted in 1915 in the New York Cavalry and subsequently served with the 12th New York Infantry in the Mexican Border Campaign between 1916 and 1918.[1] During World War I, Wickersham was sent to the Europe with IV Corps as Acting Assistant Chief of Staff. He distinguished himself during the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, when he was participated in the preparation and execution of the IV Corps attack. For this service, Major Wickersham was awarded with the Army Distinguished Service Medal.

In Inter-war era, Wickersham commanded 306th and 153rd Infantry Brigades.

During World War II, in 1942, he became the first commandant and director of the School of Military Government, created in the University of Virginia.[1]

Promoted up to Brigadier general, he was deputy to Lieutenant General Arthur Edward Grassett's, chief of European Allied Contact Section in the SHAEF staff of General Dwight Eisenhower.

After the war, he was appointed an assistant to Lieutenant General Lucius D. Clay, Deputy Military-Governor American Zone of Occupation Germany.[2]

Wickersham was the first commander of the 42nd Infantry Division when it was reorganized as a National Guard formation following World War II.[3]

Philately

Thanks to his collection of postage stamps of Venezuela, he published The Early Stamps of Venezuela in 1956. He wrote articles about other countries at well in philatelic publications.[2]

He was awarded the Lichtenstein Medal, which is given to a living individual for outstanding service to philately, by the Collectors Club of New York in 1959.[4]

Governor of the Collectors Club, he was its President in 1956. He presided the Jury of the 1956 New York City international exhibition.[2]

Brigadier General Cornelius W. Wickersham died on January 31, 1968, aged 82 in Mineola, New York.

Honors and awards

For his military services:

Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
Bronze star
1st Row Army Distinguished Service Medal w/ OLC Legion of Merit Mexican Border Service Medal
2nd Row World War I Victory Medal w/ two battle clasps American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal w/ three service stars
3rd Row World War II Victory Medal Army of Occupation Medal Commander of the Order of the British Empire (United Kingdom)[2] Officer of the Legion of Honour

For his work in the field of philately, Wickersham was provided the following award:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Note for Cornelius W. Wickersham Papers, Syracuse University Library ; retrieved 21 February 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Arthur Ronald Butler, History of the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists, The British Philatelic Federation, December 1990, page 137.
  3. ↑ Associated Press, Mount Vernon Daily Argus, National Guard Activates 27th, 42nd Divisions, February 15, 1947
  4. 1 2 List of the Lichtenstein Award recipients, Collectors Club of New York ; retrieved 21 February 2010.
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