William B. Saxbe was sworn in today as the American Ambassador to India and at the Department of Justice Lawrence H. Silberman took over his duties as the acting Attorney General of the United States.
Silberman, a native of York, Pa., had been deputy to Saxbe, former Ohio Republican Senator, and will serve as acting head of the Justice Department until Bdward H. Levi University of Chicago president, is sworn in as Attorney General. This may not take place for some days The Senate Judiciary Committee has completed hearings on Levi’s nomination by President Ford but it has not yet acted upon it. After the panel’s action the full Senate must vote on the nomination.
Silberman, who is 38 years old, thus becomes the first Jew to head the Department of Justice. Levi will be the first Jew actually designated by a President as Attorney General. Silberman, it was said; will leave the Department to return to private law practice here after Levi’s accession to the post.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
