Samuel Untermyer Papers
Extent and Medium
57.8 linear feet (32 Hollingers, 45 record cartons)
Creator(s)
- Untermyer, Samuel, 1858-1940
Biographical History
Samuel Untermyer was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, on March 2, 1858. His parents were Isidore and Therese Untermyer. Samuel was raised and educated in New York City, earning an LL.B. from Columbia Law School in 1878.
After admission to the bar Untermyer entered law practice in the prestigious firm of Guggenheimer & Untermyer, later Guggenheimer, Untermyer & Marshall. His legal practice was varied, including corporate, civil, criminal, labor, family and international law. He achieved distinction and success early in his legal career, serving as counsel for many important cases. In addition to work in the courts, Untermyer was often engaged as an adviser for great financial transactions. He remained in active practice for 61 years, until his death in 1940.
In 1912 Untermyer received national prominence as counsel for the Money Trust Inquiry of the Committee on Banking and Currency of the House of Representatives. The committee, known as the Pujo Committee (named for its chairman), investigated financial conditions with the purpose of presenting remedial legislation. As a result of this and other inquiries, the Federal Reserve Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act and other measures designed to curb financial excesses were either enacted or amended. Untermeyer took a large part in drafting or presenting this legislation.
In behalf of Jewish rights, Untermyer served as attorney for Herman Bernstein's suit against Henry Ford for anti-semitic articles published in Ford's Dearborn Independent. After the advent of Hitlerism, Untermyer became president of the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League to Champion Human Rights, to counter Nazi propaganda and lead in the boycott of German goods. Other activity in the Jewish community included serving as vice-president of the American Jewish Congress until 1926 and president of the Palestine Foundation Fund for several years.
Untermyer was a prominent member of the Democratic Party and was a delegate to six Democratic Conventions from 1904-1932. He had considerable influence on Democratic political affairs, especially in New York City.
Untermyer married Minnie Karl (died August 1, 1924) on August 9, 1880. They had three children: Alvin, Irwin, and Irene (Mrs. Stanley L. Richter). Samuel Untermyer died in Palm Springs, California, March 16, 1940.
Acquisition
Received from James Marshall, New York, N.Y., 1953, and Frank Untermyer, Chicago, Ill., 2006.
Scope and Content
Papers describe the career of Samuel Untermyer as lawyer and civic and communal leader; and as counsel for the Congressional Committee known as the Pujo Committee which in 1912 investigated the "money trust." The collection consists of correspondence, memoranda and reports pertaining to Untermyer's many legal and civic involvements, speeches, catalogs of art holdings, last will and testament, family correspondence and biographies, Untermyer Trust correspondence, and scrapbooks.
System of Arrangement
The collection is divided into four (4) series: A. Correspondence; B. Legal Papers; C. Financial Papers; D. Scrapbooks.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for use; no restrictions apply.
Sources
Preferred Citation
Footnotes and bibliographic references should refer to the Samuel Untermyer Papers and the American Jewish Archives. A suggestion for at least the first citation is as follows:
[Description], [Date], Box #, Folder #. MS-251. Samuel Untermyer Papers. American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Process Info
Processed by Garret B. Kremer-Wright, July 2006.
People
- Untermyer, Samuel, 1858-1940
Corporate Bodies
- United States Congress. House Committee on Banking and Currency -- Investigation -- 1912
- Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League to Champion Human Rights, Inc. (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects
- Jews -- New York (State) -- New York
- United States -- Politics and government
- Anti-Nazi movement
- Jewish lawyers
Genre
- Biographies
- Scrapbooks
- Wills
- Speeches