Clearing the Name of Lt. Henry O. Flipper
The Washington, D.C. firm of Arnold & Porter spent five years working to clear the name of Lt. Henry O. Flipper, a former slave and the first African-American graduate of West Point. While serving with distinction on the frontier with "Buffalo soldiers" of the 10th Cavalry, Flipper had been court-martialed under circumstances later determined to be questionable at best.
Despite this setback, Flipper went on to become a successful engineer, special agent of the Department of Justice, translator for the U.S. Senate, and Assistant to the Secretary of the Interior (1922-31). The Army Board for Correction of Military Records reviewed his case and issued an honorable discharge certificate. West Point even presents an annual Henry Flipper award to a cadet who demonstrates leadership, self-discipline and perseverance in light of unusual difficulties. Yet the unjust conviction continued to stain his record.
Jeffrey Smith and Darryl W Jackson, Arnold & Porter lawyers, determined to expunge the court martial from Lt. Flipper's record. Mr. Smith was a former West Pointer himself; Mr. Jackson was an African-American for whom Lt. Flipper was a childhood hero. The two made history when President Clinton signed a posthumous pardon on behalf of Lt. Flipper in February 1999.
