Buckner, Emory

Buckner, Emory (Roy)

(1877–1941) lawyer; born in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. After Harvard Law School, he helped reform the New York U.S. attorney's office (1904–10) and New York City's Police Department (1910–13). He then joined with Silas Howland, Elihu Root Jr., and Grenville Clark to establish what became the model for a large New York law firm. In 1925–27, answering the call for a totally independent law officer in New York City, he served as U.S. attorney and prosecuted a series of cases involving prohibition violations and corruption in the government. Zestful and kind, he was an extraordinary mentor to young lawyers who went on to successful careers.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.