Archibald Cox, Jr., (May 12, 1912 - May 29, 2004), a native of Plainfield, New Jersey, and son of comedian Wally Cox, was an American lawyer who served as United States Solicitor General under President John F. Kennedy and was the special prosecutor for the Watergate Scandal. Before he became the special prosecutor, he was a Professor at Harvard Law School, and worked with the Department of Labor as a specialist in labor law.
On October 20, 1973, in an event termed the Saturday Night Massacre, U.S. President Richard Nixon ordered that Cox be fired as Watergate scandal special prosecutor, upon Cox's insistence on obtaining secret White House tapes. Rather than comply with this order, both Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus resigned. The order was ultimately carried out by the Solicitor General, Robert Bork. Upon being fired, Cox stated simply: "Whether ours shall be a government of laws and not of men is now for Congress and ultimately the American people".
The firing of Cox illustrated the need for independent counsels — prosecutors specifically appointed to investigate official misconduct. After Nixon's resignation, Cox became chairman of Common Cause, and was made an honorary member of the Order of the Coif in 1991.
Cox died at his home in Brooksville, Maine of natural causes on the same day as Sam Dash, chief counsel to the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate scandal.
Cox was the great-grandson of William M. Evarts who defended President Andrew Johnson during his impeachment hearing and became Secretary of State in the Hayes administration.
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