A Biographical Sketch of George N. Leighton Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County December 7, 1964-September 1, 1969

Justice, Illinois Appellate Court September 1, 1969-February 27, 1976

Judge, United States District Court February 27, 1976



I. Biographical History and Education

George N. Leighton was born on October 22, 1912 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The vital statistics of that city show his name as George Neves Leitao because he was the son of Anna Silva Garcia and Antonio Neves Leitao, natives of the African-coastal Cape Verde Islands, a 14-island archipelago that was Portuguese territory for more than 400 years. He was reared in New Bedford and on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He attended grade schools on Cape Cod and in New Bedford. He finished the sixth grade; but because he had to work early in life, he never entered high school. In the year that he began the seventh grade in public school, he took a job on an oil tanker sailing from Fall River, Massachusetts to Aruba in the Dutch West Indies. This ended his public school education. Between that time and September of 1936, Leighton read extensively from books, borrowed from various sources. In 1934, he attended night schools; and at one time he studied in the 1934-35 WPA classes.
In the winter of 1935, as a memorial to the sinking of the USS Nantucket by the SS Olympic, the Cape Verdeans of New Bedford, Massachusetts, under the leadership of Alfred J. Gomes, a lawyer, created the Cape Verdean Memorial Scholarship Fund. In the early winter of 1936, the first essay contest was held and two prizes were awarded for the best essays submitted. The two prizes, each for $200.00 were to provide initial tuition for the winners in any college of their choice. George N. Leighton won one of the awards.
Early in the winter of 1936, he submitted an application for admission to Howard University; and although his application for a scholarship was rejected, he received a letter from Mr. F. D. Wilkinson, then Registrar of Howard University, informing him that he could attend Howard University as an Unclassified Student. As a postscript to the letter, Mr. Wilkinson stated that if Leighton proved he could do college work without having attended a high school, Howard would make him a candidate for a degree.
In September of 1936, assisted by the essay scholarship award of $200.00 which had been remitted in part to Howard University to pay for the first semester's tuition, and on the authority of the letter written by Mr. Wilkinson, Leighton began his studies at Howard University.
At the end of the first semester examinations, because of excellent scholarship, Leighton made the Dean's Honor Roll. He remained on that roll through four years of college studies. On making the roll, Leighton approached Mr. Wilkinson and reminded him of the postscript to his 1936 letter. As a consequence of the grades earned, he was made a candidate for a degree in the College of Liberal Arts. He was graduated in 1940, magna cum laude.
Early in 1940, Leighton wrote to James McCauley Landis, then Dean of the Harvard Law School. Because of his scholastic record at Howard University, Dean Landis awarded Leighton a first year scholarship to Harvard Law School. He enrolled in September 1940;
but in March of 1942, his law studies were interrupted by World War II. On March 10, 1942, he was ordered to active duty and reported to Fort Benning, Georgia, where he attended the 206th Basic Class for Reserve Officers. On June 18, 1942, he was ordered to report to the 93rd Infantry Division at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. He remained with the 93rd Division throughout its service in the Pacific Theatre. In October of 1945, Leighton was relieved from active duty as a Captain in the Infantry. He returned to Harvard Law School on October 24, 1945 and was awarded his LLB degree on November 25, 1946.

Before completion of his studies at Harvard Law School, Leighton took examinations for the Massachusetts Bar, passed and became a Massachusetts lawyer on October 3, 1946. On October 14, 1946, he arrived in Chicago and was admitted to the Bar of the State of Illinois on January 20, 1947.
From October, 1946 to December 8,1964, he was active in civic affairs of Chicago. During 1947-48, he was president of the Chicago Chapter of the Howard University Alumni Association. From 1947-1953, he was a member and the Chairman of the Legal Redress Committee of the Chicago Branch, NAACP. During his chairmanship of the Committee, Leighton was general counsel in the Cicero Riot Case in which he represented Harvey dark and his family.
Between 1952-53, for two terms, he was President of the Chicago Branch, NAACP; and during the last year of his presidency, he was General Counsel in the Trumbull Park Case representing the Donald Howard family. During the period 1962 to 1964, Leighton again became active in the Chicago Branch, NAACP and served as Chairman of its Political Action Committee and the Legal Redress Committee. In 1964 he became a Life Member in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
In addition to these civic activities, Leighton has been:
(a) member of the Advisory Committee of the Illinois Division, American Civil Liberties Union; (b) member of the Advisory Committee, Independent Voters of Illinois (IVI); (c) Chairman of the Legislative Committee, Cosmopolitan Chamber of Commerce; (d) member of the Drafting Sub-Committee of the Citizens Committee for the Adoption of the Fair Employment Practice Act;(e) member of the Committee for the