then, six of Royall's clients were dead. They had been tried, convicted, and executed in August, days after the Supreme Court's brief announcement upholding Roosevelt's tribunals. Two who turned themselves in and betrayed the others were sent to prison. Royall later said he believed his defense of the Germans was his most important work in a long and illustrious career. He was promoted to brigadier general. Truman administration Royall served as Undersecretary of War from November 9, 1945 until July 18, 1947. President Truman named him Secretary of War in 1947. He became the first Secretary of the Army two months later. In 1948, Royall refused to make public the documentary “Nuremberg: Its Lesson For Today” because "due to policy changes, ‘Nuremberg’ was not in the interest of the ‘army or the nation’ and would not be released to the general public". Royall was forced into retirement in April 1949 for continuing to refuse to desegregate the Army, nearly a year after President Truman promulgated Executive Order 9981. Later life and death In December 1949, Royall became a partner at the prestigious New York City law firm of Dwight, Harris, Koegel and Caskey, becoming the firm's head in 1958. The firm was later renamed Rogers & Wells, and it was subsequently known as Clifford Chance Rogers & Wells after its merger with British firm Clifford Chance. Royall died in Durham, North Carolina, on May 25, 1971, aged 76. He was buried at Willow Dale Cemetery in Goldsboro, North Carolina. His son, Kenneth C. Royall, Jr. (1918–1999) served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1967 to 1972, and the North Carolina Senate from 1973 to 1992. References External links Charlotte Observer: Royall was also willing to stand for rule of law Official Army biography and portrait History News Network article on Nazi saboteur case Generals of World War II 1894 births 1971 deaths National Guard (United States) generals American military personnel of World War I United States Army generals of World War II American people of World War II American segregationists Harvard Law School alumni University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni United States Army generals United States Secretaries of the Army United States Secretaries of War New York (state) lawyers North Carolina lawyers Democratic Party North Carolina state senators People from Goldsboro, North Carolina Politicians from Durham, North Carolina Military personnel from North Carolina Truman administration cabinet