J. Ernest Wilkins Sr. | |
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Born | |
Died | January 19, 1959 | (aged 64)
Resting place | Lincoln Cemetery |
Alma mater | University of Illinois; University of Chicago |
Known for | Labor leader, Undersecretary of Labor, Civil Rights |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse |
Lucille Robinson (m. 1922) |
Children | 3 sons, including J. Ernest Wilkins Jr. |
Jesse Ernest Wilkins Sr. (February 1, 1894 – January 19, 1959)[1] was a U.S. lawyer, labor leader, undersecretary in the Eisenhower administration and both the first African-American to be appointed to a sub-cabinet position in the United States Government and the first to attend White House cabinet-level meetings.[2][3]
After a falling-out with Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell, Wilkins resigned from his sub-cabinet post in 1958, but continued to serve on the U.S. Civil Rights Commission.