William Wirt (November 8, 1772-February 18, 1834) was an American statesman and author who is responsible for turning the position of United State Attorney General into one of influence. He had ...

William Wirt, appointed by ... The U.S. attorney general's office started in the judicial branch, not the executive — and has never been entirely under presidential control.

On this day in 1993, Janet Reno was sworn in as the nation’s 78th attorney general. She was the first woman to serve in that post and the second-longest serving after William Wirt, who was in ...