George N. Leighton
Encyclopedia
George Neves Leighton is a retired African-American judge.
. His surname was anglicised
as "Leighton" by a teacher who claimed she could not pronounce his last name "Leitão". His parents, wanting no problems for their son, agreed.
Leighton was married to the late Virginia Berry Quivers and has two daughters, Virginia Anne and Barbara Elaine. He is the grandfather of five and the great grandfather of six. He was a strong tournament chess player.
with an A.B.
in 1940 and from Harvard Law School
with an LL.B. in 1946. From 1942-1945 he had served in the United States army, raising to the rank of Captain. He was in private practice from 1946-1964. During this time he served as Assistant State Attorney General of Illinois from 1949-1951. He was a Master in chancery, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois from 1960 to 1964.
Leighton was a judge with the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois
from 1964–1969, and was a judge with the First District Appellate Court of Illinois from 1969-1976. Judge Leighton was the first African-American to hold this position in the State of Illinois.
In 1975, President Gerald Ford
nominated Leighton to a seat on the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. This was a seat being vacated by Abraham L. Marovitz. He was confirmed on February 2, 1976, and received commission on February 4, 1976. He retired from this position on November 30, 1987, and returned to the practice of law with the firm of Earl L. Neal & Associates.
Leighton became a Life Member in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) in 1964, having served the Chicago
branch as president and general counsel for several years.
Personal life
Leighton was born George Neves Leitão, son of Ana Silva Garcia and António Neves Leitão, both originally from Brava, Cape VerdeBrava, Cape Verde
Brava is an island in Cape Verde. It is the smallest inhabited island, but at the same time the greenest, of Cape Verde, in the Sotavento group. First settled in the 1540s, its population grew after Mount Fogo on neighbouring Fogo erupted in 1675...
. His surname was anglicised
Anglicisation
Anglicisation, or anglicization , is the process of converting verbal or written elements of any other language into a form that is more comprehensible to an English speaker, or, more generally, of altering something such that it becomes English in form or character.The term most often refers to...
as "Leighton" by a teacher who claimed she could not pronounce his last name "Leitão". His parents, wanting no problems for their son, agreed.
Leighton was married to the late Virginia Berry Quivers and has two daughters, Virginia Anne and Barbara Elaine. He is the grandfather of five and the great grandfather of six. He was a strong tournament chess player.
Career
Leighton graduated from Howard UniversityHoward University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
with an A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1940 and from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
with an LL.B. in 1946. From 1942-1945 he had served in the United States army, raising to the rank of Captain. He was in private practice from 1946-1964. During this time he served as Assistant State Attorney General of Illinois from 1949-1951. He was a Master in chancery, Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois from 1960 to 1964.
Leighton was a judge with the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
from 1964–1969, and was a judge with the First District Appellate Court of Illinois from 1969-1976. Judge Leighton was the first African-American to hold this position in the State of Illinois.
In 1975, President Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
nominated Leighton to a seat on the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. This was a seat being vacated by Abraham L. Marovitz. He was confirmed on February 2, 1976, and received commission on February 4, 1976. He retired from this position on November 30, 1987, and returned to the practice of law with the firm of Earl L. Neal & Associates.
Leighton became a Life Member in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
(NAACP) in 1964, having served the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
branch as president and general counsel for several years.