Ralph H. Demmler (August 22, 1904 December 23, 1995) was an American lawyer specializing in corporate banking law and chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from June 1953 to May 1955.

Early life and education

Ralph Demmler was an accomplished lawyer who graduated from

Allegheny College Allegheny College is a private liberal arts college in Meadville, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1815, Allegheny is the oldest college in continuous existence under the same name west of the Allegheny Mountains. It is a member of the G ...

, where he was inducted into

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...

, an honor recognizing academic excellence. He earned his law degree from the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...

. Demmler is notable for his career in law, where he made significant contributions, including holding prominent positions in government and the private sector. His educational background laid a strong foundation for his later achievements in the legal field.

Career

He began his law practice in Pittsburgh in 1928. In 1943, Demmler joined the law firm Reed Smith Shaw & McClay and was elected a partner in 1948. A member of the Republican Party, he served as chairman of the

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of 1929. Its primary purpose is to enforce laws against market m ...

(SEC) between June 1953 and 1955. Demmler had been appointed a member of the commission just earlier.

Social Security Death Index The Social Security Death Index (SSDI) was a database of death records created from the United States Social Security Administration's Death Master File until 2014. Since 2014, public access to the updated Death Master File has been via the Limit ...

. From 1969 until 1980, he was an adviser on an

American Law Institute The American Law Institute (ALI) is a research and advocacy group of judges, lawyers, and legal scholars limited to 3,000 elected members and established in 1923 to promote the clarification and simplification of United States common law and i ...

project to codify federal securities laws. In 1972, the SEC appointed Demmler to its Special Committee on Enforcement Policy.

Corporate directorships

During his career, he served as a

member of the board A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulations ...

of various corporations, including Duquesne Light, Sharon Steel and Hammermill Paper.

Personal life

Demmler died, age 91, in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

. At his death, he was survived by Catherine, his wife of 66 years. Demmler was also survived by a son John H. Demmler and three grandchildren.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Demmler, Ralph 1904 births 1995 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople Allegheny College alumni American corporate directors Businesspeople from Pennsylvania Eisenhower administration personnel Members of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Pennsylvania lawyers Pennsylvania Republicans Politicians from Pittsburgh University of Pittsburgh School of Law alumni

Early life and education

Career

Corporate directorships

Personal life

See also

References