J. Ernest Wilkins Sr.

J. Ernest Wilkins Sr.
J. Ernest Wilkins Sr.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor, 1954–58
Born(1894-02-01)February 1, 1894
Farmington, Missouri
DiedJanuary 19, 1959(1959-01-19) (aged 64)
Washington, D.C.
Resting placeLincoln Cemetery
Alma materUniversity of Illinois; University of Chicago
Known forLabor leader, Undersecretary of Labor, Civil Rights
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Lucille Robinson
​
(m. 1922)​
Children3 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.

  1. ^ Chicago Bar Record. Chicago Bar Association. 1959.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Time1954Aug was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Time1959Feb was invoked but never defined (see the help page).