John Doar

John Doar was born December 3, 1921, in Minneapolis and grew up in New Richmond, Wisconsin. He graduated from Princeton University and received his law degree from the University of California at Berkeley. John returned to New Richmond in 1950 to practice law with his father, William Thomas Doar Sr., older brother William Thomas Doar Jr. (Tom), and cousin Warren P. Knowles Jr. In 1960, John moved to Washington, DC, to serve in the Civil Rights Division of the United States Justice Department. In his seven years with the division, John prosecuted several high-profile cases, such as the “Mississippi Burning” trial, and personally escorted James Meredith as he arrived at the University of Mississippi as its first black student. His efforts laid the groundwork for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965., After leaving the Civil Rights Division in 1967, John moved to New York where he led anti-poverty efforts in Brooklyn and served on the New York City Board of Education. In 1973, John served as Special Counsel to the House Judiciary Committee’s impeachment inquiry into the conduct of President Richard Nixon. Following President Nixon’s resignation from office, John practiced private law for more than three decades. John was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 for his service to his country. John Doar died on November 11, 2014. Thanks to the generosity of the W.T. Doar Jr. and Patricia L. Doar Trust, the John Doar History Trail was opened on August 26, 2017, in New Richmond at the conclusion of a three-day series of events held to celebrate John and the community that he loved.