Harry C. McPherson, Jr.
Member of the Firm
Area of Practice
Legislative and Federal Affairs
Since joining the firm in 1969, Harry
McPherson has represented and
counseled businesses, non-profit organizations, foreign governments, and
individuals on a wide range of matters
before the Exmitiire Branch, the
Congress, regulatory agencies, and other
public bodies.
Significant Accomplishments
Managed and achieved passage of
legislation that will, for the first time,
privatize a major governmentsponsored enterprise.
Represented the interests of more than
2500 Czech-Americans in obtaining
compensation for the seizure of their
assets by the Communist government
of Czechoslovakia. The final settlement was for over eighty cents on the
dollar.
7 Represented oil and gas wildcatters
and developers from Kansas,
Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana, in
tax legislative battles.
a Obtained government approval for the
merger of two international airlines.
Represented one of the major ,
television networks in the successful
struggle to repeal the “financial
interest and syndication” rule — the
so-called “fin-syn” rule.
Helped one of the nation’s largest
foundations work out a plan for the
orderly distribution of its assets and
earnings, avoiding major IRS
penalties.
Represents the principal mutual fund
association.
9 Counsels the Government of Puerto
Rico in Washington, D.C. with other
firm attorneys and consultants.
Education
University of Texas Law School
University of the South, Sewanee
LL.B., 1956
B.A., 1949
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Other Professional Experience
Mr. McPherson served as Counsel, then
Special Counsel, to President Lyndon B.
Johnson from 1965 to 1969. Previously
he had served as Assistant Secretary of
State for Educational and Cultural
Affairs; and Deputy Under Secretary of
the Amy for Ictemational Affairs. He
was Counsel to the U.S. Senate
Democratic Party Committee, the key
legislative policy organ on the Senate
side for the Democratic Party.
Board Memberships and Affiliations
Served as general counsel to the John F.
Kennedy Center for Performing Arts
in 1976 to 1991, having previously
been Vice Chairman of the Center
Served as president of the Federal City
Council, a civic organization of
business, professional, and cultural
leaders in Washington, D.C. from
1983 through 1988
Currently President of the Economic
Club of Washington
Appointed by President Reagan, to serve
as vice chairman of the United States
Cultural and Trade Center Commission, which planned a 600,000
sq.ft. facility in the Fekral Triangle
Appointed by Presidents Bush and
Clinton, as a member of the 1993
U.S. Base Closure and Realignment
Commission
Served as a member of the Board of
Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson
International Center, Smithsonian
Institution from 1969 to 1974
Member of the Board of Directors of the
Council on Foreign Relations from
1974 to 1977
Chairman of the Democratic Advisory
Council of Elected Officials Task
Force on Democratic Policy from
1974 to 1976
Commissioner of The President’s
Commission on the Accident at
Three Mile Island in 1979
Served as a member of the Editorial
Advisory Board of Foreign Affairs
and the Publications Committee of
Publications
Author of “A Political Education”, first
published by Atlantic-Little Brown in
1972, republished by Houghton Mifflin
in 1988, and published again in 1995 by
the University of Texas Press. He has
written many articles on foreign policy
and political issues for the New York
Times, Washington Post, and other
journals.
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