David J. Mays

David John Mays (November 22, 1896 – February 17, 1971) was an American lawyer and writer. He attempted to slow racial desegregation on behalf of Byrd Organization during the Massive Resistance era. Mays served as counsel to the Gray Commission which tried to formulate segregationists' response to the United States Supreme Court rulings in 1954 and 1955 in consolidated cases known as Brown v. Board of Education. He later unsuccessfully defended actions taken against NAACP attorneys (although he had argued against adoption of those laws and correctly predicted they would be overturned) and significantly unequal legislative reapportionment. In 2008 the University of Georgia Press published an annotated volume of excerpts of his diaries concerning the early years of Massive Resistance (1954-1959). In 1953, Mays won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography for Edmund Pendleton 1721-1803 (Harvard University Press, 1952), a biography of the late 18th-century Virginia politician and judge Edmund Pendleton.

Books

This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

  1. 1. Edmund Pendleton 1721–1803

    "Edmund Pendleton 1721–1803" is a comprehensive biography of the influential Virginian lawyer, politician, and judge. The book delves into the life of Pendleton, detailing his significant roles in the American Revolution and the founding of the United States. His contributions to the drafting of legal frameworks, his role in the Continental Congress, and his influence on the U.S. Constitution are all highlighted. The book also explores Pendleton's personal life and his enduring legacy in American history.