Clark, Tom

Clark, Tom

 orig. Thomas Campbell

(born Sept. 23, 1899, Dallas, Texas, U.S.—died June 13, 1977, New York, N.Y.) U.S. jurist. He studied law at the University of Texas and entered private practice in Dallas. As a civil district attorney, he became involved in Democratic Party politics. At the U.S. Justice Department (1937–45), he worked primarily on antitrust and war-fraud cases. As U.S. attorney general (1945) he gained a reputation for his vigorous antisubversive programs and his efforts to broaden the powers of Federal Bureau of Investigation. Appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States (1949), he retained his strong views on subversive activities but was also a frequent supporter of civil liberties. He resigned in 1967 when his son, Ramsey Clark (b. 1927), was appointed U.S. attorney general.