Edwin Meese III (born December 2, 1931 in Oakland, California) served as the seventy-fifth Attorney General of the United States (1985 - 1988).

In 1953, Meese graduated from Yale University. He holds a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He worked as district attorney of Alameda County, California before joining Governor Ronald Reagan's staff in 1967. He served as legal affairs secretary from 1967-1968 and as executive assistant and chief of staff to Governor Reagan from 1969 through 1974.

From January 1975 to May 1976, he was vice president for administration of Rohr Industries in Chula Vista, California. He left Rohr to enter private law practice in San Diego County, California. He served as a professor of law at the University of San Diego from 1977 to 1981, and also was director of the Center for Criminal Justice Policy and Management.

Meese headed Ronald Reagan's transition effort following the 1980 election. During the presidential campaign, he served as chief of staff and senior issues adviser for the Reagan-Bush committee. After Reagan's election, he became counselor to the President, member of the President's Cabinet and the National Security Council from 1981 to 1985.

Meese became Attorney General in February 1985, holding this office until August, 1988. He was the subject of investigations by the United States Office of the Independent Counsel on two occasions. Neither of these investigations resulted in charges being presented to a grand jury.

Meese is now a fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

See also

• Attorney General's Commission on Pornography

External links

• Edwin Meese profile, NNDB
• Attorney General's Commission on Pornography