Joseph Meyer Proskauer (6 August 1877 – 10 September 1971) was an American lawyer, judge, philanthropist, and political activist and is the name partner of
Proskauer Rose.
[
]
Biography
Proskauer was born in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. After a successful vote to annex areas west of the city limits in July 2023, Mobil ...
, to a Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
family in 1877. His parents were Alfred and Rebecca Proskauer. At 15, he came to New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
to attend Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
. He earned an A.B. from Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School (CLS) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Columbia University, a Private university, private Ivy League university in New York City.
The school was founded in 1858 as the Columbia College Law School. The un ...
in 1896 and an LL.B in 1899. He was admitted to the bar that same year. He was later awarded honorary degrees from Hebrew Union College
Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and remained in regular use as a first language until ...
, Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College ( ) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, Dartmouth is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the America ...
, Brandeis University
Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...
, New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
, and Fordham University
Fordham University is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in New York City, United States. Established in 1841, it is named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx in which its origina ...
.
Proskauer married Alice Naumburg on October 14, 1903, and they had three children: Frances, Ruth, and Richard.
After being admitted to the bar, Proskauer and a friend formed a law firm, which in 1902 merged with James, Schell & Elkus to create a firm that later became Elkus, Gleason & Proskauer.
Early in his career, Proskauer became a friend of New York Governor Al Smith
Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was the 42nd governor of New York, serving from 1919 to 1920 and again from 1923 to 1928. He was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party's presidential nominee in the 1 ...
and served as his campaign advisor and speechwriter. In June 1923, Smith appointed him a judge on the New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the superior court in the Judiciary of New York. It is vested with unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction, although in many counties outside New York City it acts primarily as a court of civil ju ...
to fill the unexpired term of another judge. In November 1923, he was elected to a full term. In 1927, he was appointed an appellate judge and served in that position until he retired from the bench in 1930. He then returned to private law practice and joined the firm of Rose & Paskus, which later became Proskauer Rose, and worked for it for 40 years until his retirement.
From 1951 to 1953, he chaired the New York State Crime Commission investigating organized crime in New York City, and he was involved in the creation of the Waterfront Commission.
Proskauer died in 1971 at the age of 94.
Political activism
Proskauer was active in many civic and charity organizations. He chaired several Jewish cultural and charity groups, including the 92nd Street Y, and was President of the American Jewish Committee
The American Jewish Committee (AJC) is a civil rights group and Jewish advocacy group established on November 11, 1906. It is one of the oldest Jewish advocacy organizations and, according to ''The New York Times'', is "widely regarded as the wi ...
(AJC) from 1943 to 1949. He continued to serve as honorary president after his term had expired. In 1946, he testified before the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry on behalf of the AJC.
See also
* Al Smith presidential campaign, 1924
* Al Smith presidential campaign, 1928
* Al Smith presidential campaign, 1932
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Proskauer, Joseph M
1877 births
1971 deaths
American philanthropists
Columbia Law School alumni
New York Supreme Court justices
Proskauer Rose partners
Columbia College (New York) alumni
Presidents of the American Jewish Committee
New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department justices