
Rowell and Whitney analyzed the many proposals in Japan's postwar constitutional debate, and outlined them to form the framework of the Japanese Constitution of 1946.
'Lt. Col. Milo E. Rowell' (
July 25,
1903 -
October 7,
1977) was an
American lawyer and
Army officer best known for his role in drafting the
Constitution of Japan.
Born in
Fresno, California, Rowell graduated from
Stanford University and
Harvard Law School, and returned to Fresno in
1926 to open a private law practice there. He enlisted in the Army in
1943, where he studied occupation administration and also commanded troops in the
Philippines.
Following Japan's surrender in
1945, Rowell moved to
Tokyo and joined the
occupation authority under
Douglas MacArthur as Chief of Judicial Affairs. In this capacity, he worked with Brig. Gen.
Courtney Whitney to prepare a draft constitution for the
Diet of Japan to approve. Rowell extensively analyzed the existing
Meiji Constitution, balancing it with the demands of Japanese lawyers to form a draft that was acceptable to both the Japanese government and the GHQ.
Rowell donated his papers to the
University of Tokyo in
1965. They now serve as one of the key
legislative history sources in Japanese constitutional law.