When I got out of Harvard Law School, I went to work as a law clerk for Earl R. Larson, a federal judge. He came from humble beginnings to become an excellent jurist. He was a gifted athlete and an officer in the navy in the Second World War. Before becoming a judge, he was an active participant and leader in the community life of the Twin Cities. He combined great common sense with personal integrity and courage, and led his life in a way that was a great example for people.
Above all, he was a person of principle who was grounded in day-to-day life. He was the judge who issued the desegregation order for the Minneapolis public schools, a courageous and controversial action at that time. In 1964, the House Un-American Activities Committee [HUAC] wanted to use his Minneapolis federal courtroom for a hearing. Judge Larson said that he wouldn’t allow that, and ordered the courtroom locked. I was in my little office when one of the staff members for HUAC, who looked like he had been bench-pressing Volkswagens, showed up. He said, ‘Are you Larson’s law clerk? I want you to open the courtroom.’ I refused, and they held the hearing someplace else.
