Samuel Untermayer

Samuel Untermyer was born in 1858 in Lynchburg, Virginia. He was the son of two German immigrants. Samuel Untermyer was a New York lawyer who began practicing law at 18 and was admitted to the bar in New York in 1879. Untermyer established himself as a corporation attorney and became known for corporate mergers and arranging financing for industries and real estate developments. His most famous merger was with Utah Copper Co. and the Nevada Consolidated Companies which created Bethlehem Steel.

Untermyer purchased Greystone in 1899 at an auction of the estate of Samuel J. Tilden. Untermyer owned Greystone from 1899-1940. Untermyer hired the architect Joseph H. Freelander to remodel the mansion. The estate was 150 acres and was famous for its Beaux-Arts gardens designed by William Welles Bosworth. Bosworth's gardens included the Greek Garden; a long staircase, known as the Vista, with a Hudson River view; a rock garden with an overlook called the Eagle's Nest; and an Italian-style vegetable garden constructed as five large terraces. At Untermyer's death in 1940, the estate was divided and sixteen acres donated to the city of Yonkers as "Samuel Untermyer Park and Gardens."

-- Smithsonian Institution

http://siris-archives.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?uri=full=3100001~!1792...

• ********* 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 finanacial 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.

-- American Jewish Archives

http://americanjewisharchives.org/aja/FindingAids/untermyer.htm

• ********* UNTERMYER, Samuel, 120 Broadway, New York; res. 2 E. 154th St. and "Graystone," Yonkers, N. Y. Lawyer, financier; b. Lynchburg, Va., March 2, 1858; e. Isndore and Therese Untermyer; father a wealthy planter who served in the Confederate Army and died soon after the Civil War; removed with mother to New York City 1868: ed. public schools and College of City of New York; entered law office In 1873 and continued studies In Columbia Law School, LL. B. 1898: m. Aug. 9. 1880, Minnie, dan. Mairelius Carl (New York); children: Alvln (capt. 305th Field Artillery, serving in A. E. F. in France) and Irwin, both lawyers, and Irene (wife of Stanley L. Rlchter). Admitted to bar 1879, becoming a member of the firm of Guggenheimer & Untermyer, and since 1895 of Guggenheimer, Untermyer &. Marshall.

Counsel in many important trials;

• defended Asa Bird Gardiner against the attempt to remove him from office as District Attorney of the New York County;
• represented the Wertheimers, English art dealers, in their suit against the Count and Countess of Castellane and was instrumental in securing to creditors of the Castellane estate payment in full of their claims, amounting to 20,000,000 francs;
• represented Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Morse in the Dodge-Morse controversy and succeeded in having Mrs. Morse restored to her marital rights; acted for Mrs. Fitzgerald (now Princess L da Eleanor of Thurm und Taxis) in her controversy over the trust fund provided for her upon the divorce granted her by the British Parliament, and involving many novel and interesting questions of law, winning the fight through all the courts of Pa. to the U.S. Supreme Court;
• won fight for his client in the controversy between the partners, who owned the Encyclopedia Brittanica; counsel for Whitaker Wright in extradition proceedings instituted by British Government involving construction of the treaty between the two countries;
• as counsel for James Hazen Hyde in struggle of James W. Alexander to oust Hyde from control of the Equitable Life Assurance Society his activities resulted in the famous life insurance investigations and subsequent insurance reforms in many States;
• as counsel for H. Clay Pierce in suit which prevented the Standard Oil Co. from domination of the Waters-Pierce Oil Co.

Successfully carried through the merger of the Utah Copper Co. with the Boston Consolidated and Nevada Consolidated Companies (for which was paid a fee of $775,000); has organized and is counsel for many of the great mining, manufacturing, industrial and railroad corporations of the country. Recently notable in the Lockwood investigation and in the prosecution and conviction of prifiteers engaging in unlawful combinations in the building trades; was counsel for Secretary McAdoo and Comptroller Williams in the suit of the Rlggs National Bank, charging conspiracy to wreck that bunk, the court deciding there was no conspiracy; was counsel for the Committee on Bunking and Currency of the House of Representatives in what was known us the Pujo Money Trust Investigation, resulting In the passage of many remedial laws; special adviser to Government on interpretation and enforcement of income tux and war emergency laws. Appointed by President on U. S. section of International High Commission for formulation of Uniform Laws for Pan-American Countries. Was pres. board of managers State Industrial Farm Colony; pres. board trustees Andrew Freedman Home. Member American Bar Assn., N. Y. State Bar Assn., N. Y. County Lawyers' Assn., Am. Soc. of International Law, League for Political Education, Metropolitan Museum of Art. Owns "Greystone" country estate at Yonkers, formerly owned by Samuel J. Tilden, where he has What Is said to be the largest range of private greenhouses In the U. S. famous for flowers produced there. Clubs: Automobile of America, Manhattan, lotos, National Democratic, Lawyers, National Arts, Press, Economic, Progressive Democrat; delegate to national conventions of 1904, 1008, 1912, 1916, 1920.

-- Who's Who in Finance And Banking: A BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF CONTEMPORARIES, 1920-1922, JOHN WILLIAM LEONARD. Brooklyn, 1911, pub. JOSEPH & SEFTON