Joseph B. Keenan
Joseph Berry Keenan (11 January 1888 – 8 December 1954) was an American lawyer best known for serving as Chief Prosecutor for the International Military Tribunal for the Far East. He previously served as Assistant Attorney General in the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Early life
Keenan was born on January 11, 1888, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He graduated from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1910, and earned his law degree from Harvard Law School, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1913. Keenan fought in France during World War I, and later joined the Judge Advocate General's Corps.[1][2]
Legal career
In 1919, Keenan became a Special Assistant to the
In January 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Keenan to serve as Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division. In this role, he was a key liaison between the White House and Congress on issues including legislation addressing kidnapping and organized crime. He played an important role in the drafting of the Federal Kidnapping Act, which had been prompted by the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh's toddler son.[2]
In November 1945, President Harry S. Truman appointed Keenan as Chief Prosecutor for the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, also known as the Tokyo Tribunal. As Chief Prosecutor, he led efforts to investigate and prosecute war crimes committed by Japanese leaders during World War II. This included prosecuting 28 high-ranking wartime defendants, such as former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo.[2]
Death and legacy
Keenan died in 1954 in Asheboro, North Carolina.[2][3]
See also
References
- ^ Joseph Berry Keenan Papers Accessed 9 September 2009
- ^ a b c d e "Joseph B. Keenan". U.S. Department of Justice. 3 February 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
- ^ "Milestones, Dec. 20, 1954" Time Magazine Accessed 9 September 2009
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