| Arthur B. Culvahouse | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 4, 1948 Tennessee |
| Residence | Alexandria, Virginia |
| Education | (University of Tennessee), BS (New York University School of Law), JD |
| Occupation | Chair of O’Melveny & Myers |
| Spouse | Pamela Culvahouse (m. 2001–present) |
| Parents | Arthur Culvahouse and Ruth Culvahouse |
Arthur B. ("A.B.") Culvahouse, Jr. (born Ten Mile, Tennessee, July 4, 1948) is the Chair of O’Melveny & Myers, an international law firm of more than 1,000 lawyers with offices around the world. Culvahouse also served as counsel to Ronald Reagan in the last two years of his presidency, and was entrusted by John McCain to vet his vice presidential candidates.
Culvahouse practiced law with O’Melveny & Myers from 1976 to 1984, and from 1989 until the present.
From 1973 to 1976, Culvahouse was Chief Legislative Assistant/Counsel to Senator Howard H. Baker, Jr.[1]
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From 1987 to 1989, Culvahouse served as Counsel to U.S. President Ronald Reagan.[1] As White House Counsel, he advised the President on matters ranging from Iran-Contra investigations, to the Supreme Court nominations of Robert Bork and Anthony Kennedy, to the legal aspects of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
Culvahouse served as Judge Robert Bork's "handler" during his rejected Senate confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court.[1]
In January 1989, President Ronald Reagan awarded Culvahouse the Presidential Citizens’ Medal, an award established in 1969 to "recognize citizens who performed exemplary deeds of service for the country or their fellow citizens."
From 1990 to 1992, Culvahouse served as a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Nuclear Failsafe and Risk Reduction, appointed by Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, to evaluate and recommend improvements in the United States’ Nuclear Command and Control System.
In December 1992, Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney awarded Culvahouse the Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service. Culvahouse’s prior service on boards and commissions includes service on the Supreme Court Fellows Commission (2002–2005), the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Naval Academy (1989–1991), and the Counterintelligence Advisory Panel to the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (1989–1990).
Culvahouse is currently a member of the Brookings Institution Board of Trustees, and the Leadership Board of the Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness.
In May 2008, Culvahouse was chosen to head presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain's search for a Vice Presidential running mate, the first time that Culvahouse had ever been involved in a presidential campaign.[2][3] At the same time, he won a third four-year term to the chairmanship of his law firm.[1] Culvahouse was mentioned in the American Bar Association's journal as a possible Attorney General in a John McCain presidency, because "a lot of Democrats in Washington respect him and he has private access to a lot of ears on Capitol Hill."[1]
McCain's pick of Sarah Palin for vice president led to controversy over the vetting process.[4][5] In 2009, Culvahouse defended his vetting in a speech to the Republican National Lawyers Association: Palin "had a lot of capacity. The mistake I made -- and we've laughed about it since -- after giving [McCain] that advice, he said, 'Well, what's your bottom line?' I said, 'John. High risk, high reward.' And his response, ‘You shouldn't have told me that, I've been a risk-taker all of my life.'"[6][7] “Me and two of my most cynical partners interviewed [Palin], and came away impressed,” Culvahouse said.[6]
| Legal offices | ||
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| Preceded by Peter J. Wallison |
White House Counsel 1987-1989 |
Succeeded by C. Boyden Gray |
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