Joseph W. Grier, Jr.
Description:
Joseph W. Grier, Jr., born in 1915 and raised in Charlotte attended UNC as an undergraduate and then Harvard Law School. He clerked for Chief Judge Park of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for one year and in 1942, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army and assigned to an anti-aircraft unit. After World War II, he returned to Charlotte to begin his legal career. In this interview, he describes his involvement in civic activities like the local American Legion and Parks and Recreation Commission and shares memories of desegregation efforts in Mecklenburg County. He discusses notable cases in which he was involved, including Jones v. Palace Realty Co. [37 S.E.2d 906, 226 N.C. 303 (1946)], which was taken to the N.C. Supreme Court; American Monorail Co. v. Parks-Cramer Co. [245 F.2d 739 (4th Cir. 1957)], an important patent case involving textile processes; and United Steelworkers of America, AFL-CIO v. R.H. Bouligny, Inc. [382 U.S. 145 (1965)], which Mr. Grier argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. Other topics include political involvement, particularly with Dr. Frank Porter Graham, and the importance of legal ethics.
Link to Audio / Transcript: