Friday, December 13, 1963—THE DETROIT JEWIS H NEWS-40
President Johnson Leads Nation in
Tribute to Herbert H. Lehman's Memory
President Lyndon B. Johnson, who was accompanied
by some of America's most distinguished personalities,
made a special trip to New York—to attend the funeral
of Herbert H. Lehman, who died on Dec. 5.
The special Presidential planet
was followed by two other McGovern, Democrat of South
planes carrying the notables who Dakota.
came to pay final tribute to one
The State of Israel was repre-
of this country's most distin- sented at the services by Israel's
guished personalities.
Ambassador to Washington Avra-
Concerned about the Presi- ham Harmon, and by Ambassa-
dent's safety, Mrs. Lehman had dor Michael S. Comay, head of
called Mr. Johnson • and sug- the country's delegation to the
gested that he cancel his plan- United Nations. Levi Eshkol,
ned trip. The President thanked Prime Minister of Israel, had
her for her solicitude but in- sent a message of "grief" and
sisted on paying personal tribute condolence to Mrs. Lehman.
to the Man with whom he had Noting that the Jewish people
worked closely for many years. had seen in Mr. Lehman "a
Dr. Julius Mark conducted the champion of democracy and
funeral service and the eulogy freedom who, in his battle for
was delivered by Federal Judge humanity, was true to the tenets
Edward Weinfeld, at Temple of our prophets, Mr. Eshkol
Emanu-El, 65th St. and 5th Ave., stated that all Israel and he,
personnally, felt Israel had "lost
New York City.
More than 5,000 extra police a great friend."
Thirty-five motorcycle police-
were on duty to protect the
President. The airlanes at Idle- men, supplemented by two po-
wild were closed until the Presi- lice helicopters flying at very
dent left for his return trip to low levels, guarded the Presi-
Washington, after he had also dent on his Way to the Temple
paid a visit to former President from New York's International
Airport, and on his return trip
Herbert Hoover.
Many hundreds of people went to the airport. The President
to Universal Chapel on 52nd left New York after the brief
St. and Lexington to view the service. During the rites, Rabbi
body and to pay honor to the Mark read the 14th and 23rd
Psalms, recited a passage from
great leader.
A delegation of young UJA "Hamlet," quoted from a letter
leaders left the national UJA by Mr. Lehman, and prayed for
conference that was in session peace.
City and federal agents had
to honor the man who addressed
their youth conference laSt year. carefully examined every part
Governor Nelson Rockefeller, of the Temple prior to the Pres-
many Senators, including Sena- ident's arrival, and also closed
tors Fulbright, Humphrey, Ja- down temporarily the House of
vits, Paul Douglas, and others; Living Judaism, across the
Supreme Court Justice Arthur streeet: Police barricades kept
Goldberg, Meyer Feldman, Jew- the crowds back in a seven-
ish and non-Jewish leaders in block area surrounding the
all *walks of life, came to pay Temple.
honor to the man who served in
Over the weekend, many thou-
many State, Federal . and other sands filed by the bier contain-
ing the remains of the late Mr.
capacities.
Lehman Zoo for Children es- Lehman, reposing in a midtown
tablished by the 'deceased at funeral chapel. Among the visi-
Central Park had the entrance tors were Mayor Wagner, who
draped in black. Herbert H. Leh- flew back to the city from a
man Village, a city housing conference he was attending in
project at Madison and. 10th St. Puerto Rico, and Francis Card-
opened an exhibit, "Life and inal Spellman. The latter knelt
Time of Herbert H. Lehman," on before the casket and offered a
Monday.
quiet prayer. Over the weekend,
While 2,500 invited guests too, editorials highly laudatory
jammed Temple. Emanu-El dur- of Mr. Lehman's distinguished
ing the services, conducted by career were printed in virtually
the Reform congregation's spir- every leading newspaper in the
itual leader, Rabbi Julius Mark, country. •
many thousands lined the
Memorial statements in trib-
streets outside the edifice.
ute to Herbert Lehman were
Sharing the pew in Temple issued by all national Jewish or-
Emanu-El with President John- ganizations during the week.
son, while the were being
A joint statement was issued
conducted, were Mrs. Johnson; in behalf of the Jewish Agency
New York's Governor Nelson A. for Israel by Dr. Nahum Gold-
Rockefeller; the city's Mayor, mann, Emanuel Neumann and
Robert F. Wagner; Senators Ja- Moshe Sharett.
cob K. Javits and Kenneth B.
There were statements by the
Keating, the two .members repre- United Jewish Appeal, Amer-
senting New York State in the ican Jewish Committee, Joint
U.S. Senate; Attorney General Distribution Committee, Amer-
Robert F. Kennedy, a brother ican Jewish Congress, Bnai
of the late President; and Adlai Brith, Hadassah, NCRAC, He-
E. Stevenson, chairman of the brew University, Jewish Labor
United States Delegation to the Committee and many others.
* * *
United Nations. Sitting nearby
was Associate Justice Arthur J.
NEW YORK, (JTA)—Herbert
Goldberg, of the U.S. Supreme H. Lehman, twice elected to the
Court.
United States Senate, Governor
Justice Goldberg was among of New York State for 10 years,
a number of the nation's first director-general of the
prominent personalities i n - United Nations Relief and Re-
vited by the President to come habilitation Agency, and one of
here in his plane from Wash- the foremost active leaders in
ington. Others who accom- many Jewish causes for many
panied the President on the years; died suddenly here Dec.
trip from Washington and at- 5. He was 85.
tended the services, included
The former Senator was uni-
George Meaney, president of versally acclaimed as the "elder
the American Federation of statesman" of American Jewry,
Labor and Congress of Indus- as well as one of the most out-
trial Organizations; W. Wil- standing Americans remaining
lard Wirtz, Secretary of in public life carrying on the
Labor; Under Secretary of traditions of President Frank-
State W. Averell Harriman; lin D. Roosevelt.
United States Senator J. Wil-
Throughout his long career in
liam Fullbright, Democrat of public office and in leadership
Arkansas; Clinton P. Ander- of the affairs of the Democratic
son, Democrat of New Party, Mr. Lehman never di-
Mexico; Lester Hill, Demo- vorced himself from Jewish af-
crat of Alabama, and George fairs and from activities support-
.
ing Israel. He affirmed many
times the principle that he must
be as free to participate in so-
cial welfare and other affairs
affecting Jews as he was free to
serve the general community on
all levels—statewide, nationally
and internationally.
Herbert Lehman was born in
New York City in 1878, the scion
of a German family that had
immigrated to the United States
in 1848, engaging in the textile
business. He studied at Williams
College, graduating in 1899, en-
tering the cotton goods business,
later became a partner in the
banking firm of Lehman Broth-
ers. He severed his connection
with that company when he
began his first term as New
York State Governor in 1933.
In 1917, when the United
States entered World War I,
young Lehman went to Wash-
ington and became an aide to
Assistant Secretary of the
Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Later, he was commissioned a
captain in the U.S. Army. For
hiS outstanding work, he was
given the U.S. Distinguished
Service Award. He retired
. from active army service in
1919, as a colonel on the Gen-
eral Staff.
In 1920, Mr. Lehman became
known as one of the most active
supporters _of Alfred E. Smith.
When Mr. Smith was elected
Governor he appointed Mr. Leh-
man as mediator of industrial
disputes in the garment indus-
try, a trade in which Jewish
workers as well. as Jewish in-
dustrialists figured most prom-
inently. In 1926, Mayor James J.
Walker, of New York, commis-
sioned Mr. Lehman to make a
study of the city's finances.
When Franklin D. Roosevelt
was nominated for Governor of
New York' in 1928, Mr. Lehman
became Mr. Roosevelt's running
partner in that campaign, as
candidate for Lieutenant Gov-
ernor. They were elected. When
Governor Roosevelt was absent
from the State, Mr. Lehman was
Acting Governor. Roosevelt and
Lehman ran together again, be-
ing elected by overwhelming
votes. When Mr. Roosevelt ran
for his first term for the
Presidency in 1932, the reins of
the State were handed over to
Mr. Lehman. He was re-elected
three times, serving three terms
of two years and one term o _ f
four years. -
From 1949 to 1957, Mr. Leh-
man served two terms as United
States Senator, continuing in
Washington his espousal of the
New Deal policies which he had
helped President Roosevelt de-
velop.
Mr. Lehman entered social
welfare work early in life,
shortly after graduating from
college, becoming an advisor to
a boys' club at the Henry Street
Settlement, one of the country's
earliest institutions of the kind,
operating chiefly on New York's
lower East Side. He was one of
the founders of the Joint Distri-
bution Committee, and after the
end of World War I, he became
chairman of the Reconstruction
.
Committee of the JDC. He also
became a trustee of the Hebrew
Sheltering Guardian Society, and
of the Bureau of Jewish Social
Research.
He displayed his interest in
the Jewish settlement in Pal-
estine early in his career, be-
coming vice-chairman of the
Palestine Economic Corpora-
tion. When Israel became a
State in 1948, Mr. Lehman
continued to support the Jew-
ish State. •
In 1958, he was general chair-
man of the United States Com-
mittee for the celebration of
Israel's tenth anniversary. At
his death, he was honorary gen-
eral chairman of the National
United Jewish Appeal; honorary
chairman of the Joint Distribu-
tion Committee; and one of the
topmost leaders of the Greater
New York UJA. He was active
for many years in the leader-
ship of the American Jewish
Committee, and was honorary
vice-president of the AJC. He
was also, for 15 years, honorary
president of the American
Friends of the Alliance Israelite
Universelle.
As first director-general of
UNRRA, he. established that
United Nations Agency's success-
ful activities toward aiding mil-
lions of displaced persons, refu-
gees, and others who suffered
from the adverse social, econo-
mic and humanitarian conse-
quences resulting from the broad
devastations caused during
World War II. He had acquired
much of his experience aiding
his work as head of • UNRRA
both through his welfare work
in Jewish organizations and
through his office as the U.S.
State Department's director of
foreign relief and rehabilitation
operations in 1942.
In more recent years, al-
though showing his advanced
age, Mr. Lehman continued his
activities both in Jewish causes
and in general politics. Until a
year ago. Mr. Lehman frequently
appeared at New York street
corners, during hot political
campaigns, speaking vigorously
on behalf of the election of re-
form candidates. Mrs. Lehman
nearly always ccompanied him
in all of his public appearances,
even standing behind him on
shaky street-corner stands as he
delivered political speeches.
Among his many interests
• was an undeviating one in
freedom and equality for Neg-
roes in the United States. He
was a member of the board of
directors •f the National As-
sociation for the Advancement
of . Colored People. He had
been scheduled to receive
honors tonight at a dinner
,planned by the National Com-
mittee Against Discrimination,
where A. Philip Randolph,
one of the country's outstand-
ing Negro leaders, was to have
shared- in those honors.
Study; . Surprise . Lake Camp:
Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial
Foundation; the National Con-
ference of Christians and Jews;
the Jewish Child Care Associa-
tion. He was honorary presi-
dent of the World ORT Union;
a member of the Council of. the
New York University School of
Law; a national board member
of the American Association for
the United Nations; a member
of the national council of the
Boy Scouts of America.
For many years, Mr. Lehman
was the recipient of many out-
standing awards, citations and
honorary degrees from many
sources and institutions of higher
learning. In 1941, he received
the honorary degree of doctor
of laws from the Jewish Theo-
logical Seminary. He was the re-
cipient of at least 15 other
honorary degrees from many
colleges and universities, rang-
ing from Yeshivah College to
Fordham University (Catholic).
President Grieved
WASHINGTON, (JTA) —
President Lyndon B. Johnson is-
sued the following statement on
the death of former Senator
Lehman:
"I am grieved to learn of the
death of Herbert Lehman, a dis-
tinguished leader who ably and
effectively served his state and
nation. Perhaps his best epitaph
can be the citation on the Presi-
dential Medal of Freedom which
he was to receive tomorrow:
" 'Citizen and Statesman — he
has used wisdom and compas-
sion as the tools of Government,
and has made politics the high-
est form of public service'."
Mr. Lehman had been nomi-
nated for the medal, and ar-
rangements had been made for
its presentation at the White
House the day after his death.
It is the highest civil honor con-
ferred by the President for serv-
ice in peace time.
Mr. , Lehman was one of 31
prominent Americans scheduled
to receive honors at the White
House for contributionS to the
nation. It was awarded post-
humously.
President Johnson served with
Mr. Lehman during the New
Yorker's tenure in the Senate.
The Senate paused to pay
tribute to former Sen. Lehman,
with remarks of tribute offered
by both Senate Majority Leader
Mike Mansfield of Montana, and
Minority Leader Everett Dirk-
sen, of Illinois.
Sen. Jacob K. Javits announced
Mr. Lehman's death in the Sen-
ate chamber, and delivered a
eulogy. He said Mr. Lehman's
contributions to humanitarian
causes and good works were "a
matter of history." The other
New York Senator, Republican
Kenneth B. Keating, also spoke.
The Majority and Minority
leaders of the Senate voiced .sor-
row at Mr-. Lehman's passing,
and spoke words of praise. A
number of other former col-
leagues joined in the eulogies.
Mr. Lehman was alio among
the topmost, active lay leaders
in the Jewish Theological Sem- Three Jews Among
inary of America; the New York Recipients of Medal
Foundation; Visiting Nurse Awarded by Johnson
WASHINGTON, ( J T A ) —
Service; Institute for Advanced
Three persons of Jewish origin
were among recipients of the
Presidential Medal of Freedom,
awarded by President Johnson
for distinguished services to the
nation.
Former Sen. Herbert H. Leh-
man of New York received the
award posthumously. Retired
Supreme Court Justice Felix
Frankfurter, 81, was cited as
"jurist, scholar, counselor, con-
versationalist." His citation said
"he has brought to all his roles
a zest and a wisdom which has
made him teacher to his time."
Rudolph Serkin, musician, re-
ceived a citation stating that
"artist and teacher, he has given
President and Mrs. Lyndon Johnson were joined in New York the classical traditions of the
by David Sarnoff (left), Chief Justice Earl Warren and Mayor piono new life in a disordered
Robert Wagner, at funeral services for Herbert H. Lehman. age."