Philip C. Jessup (January 5, 1897 - January 31, 1986) was a diplomat, scholar, and jurist from New York City.

Philip C. Jessup was a gradute of Hamilton College.

Jessup served as assistant secretary-general of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) conference in 1943 and the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference (the "Bretton Woods" conference) in 1944. He was a technical advisor to the American delegation to the San Francisco United Nations charter conference in 1945.

Jessup became a primary target of Senator Joseph McCarthy, who charged in the 1950 Tydings Committee hearings that Jessup was a security risk who had "an unusual affinity . . . for Communist causes." Although Jessup was cleared of all charges by the Loyalty Board of the State Department and the Tydings Committee, and McCarthy was rebuked by many fellow senators and other statesmen, McCarthy's allegations severely damaged Jessup's reputation and career.

President Truman appointed Jessup as United States delegate to the United Nations in 1951. When the appointment came before the Senate, however, it was not approved, largely because of McCarthy's influence. President Truman circumvented the Senate action by assigning Jessup to the United Nations on an "interim appointment."

Shortly after John F. Kennedy took office as president, the State Department approved the appointment of Jessup as U.S. candidate for the International Court of Justice, a post that did not need Senate confirmation. He served from 1961 until 1970.

An international law moot court competition, the Philip C. Jessup Cup, is named in his honour. It is held annually in Washington D.C. and is attended by law students from around the world.

References and further reading

• Hearings before the Senate subcommittee investigating the Institute of Pacific Relations
• Cook, Fred J. (1971). The Nightmare Decade: The Life and Times of Senator Joe McCarthy. Random House. ISBN 0-394-46270-X�