J. Ernest Wilkins Sr.
J. Ernest Wilkins Sr. | |
|---|---|
J. Ernest Wilkins Sr. | |
| United States Assistant Secretary of Labor for International Labor Affairs | |
| In office March 12, 1954 – November 6, 1958 | |
| President | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Preceded by | Spencer Miller Jr. |
| Succeeded by | George C. Lodge |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 1, 1894 |
| Died | January 19, 1959 (aged 64) |
| Resting place | Lincoln Cemetery |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Lucille Robinson (m. 1922) |
| Children | 3 sons, including J. Ernest Wilkins Jr. |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois; University of Chicago |
| Known for | Labor leader, civil rights activism |
Jesse Ernest Wilkins Sr. (February 1, 1894 – January 19, 1959) was a U.S. lawyer, labor leader, assistant secretary of the United States Department of Labor in the Eisenhower administration and both the first African-American to be appointed to a sub-cabinet position in the United States Government and to attend White House cabinet meetings as the representative of a government department.
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.