Leo Frederick Rayfiel (March 22, 1888 – November 18, 1978) was a
United States representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from
New York and a
United States district judge
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...
of the
.
Education and career
Born in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
,
New York, Rayfiel received a
Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...
from
New York University School of Law
New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City and the oldest surviving law school in N ...
in 1908. He
read law in 1918. He was in private practice of law in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York from 1918 to 1945. He was a member of the
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits.
The Assem ...
from 1939 to 1944. He was a
United States representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from New York from 1945 to 1947.
Congressional service
Rayfiel was elected as a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
to the
79th United States Congress
The 79th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1945, ...
, reelected to the
80th United States Congress
The 80th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1947, ...
and served from January 3, 1945, until his resignation on September 13, 1947, to accept a federal judgeship.
Federal judicial service
Rayfiel was nominated by President
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
on June 30, 1947, to a seat on the
vacated by Judge
Grover M. Moscowitz. He was confirmed by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
on July 23, 1947, and received his commission on July 30, 1947. He assumed
senior status
Senior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges. To qualify, a judge in the Federal judiciary of the United States, federal court system must be at least 65 years old, and the sum of the judge's age and years of servi ...
on March 4, 1966. His service was terminated on November 18, 1978, due to his death in
Wayne,
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
.
He was interred in
Wellwood Cemetery
Wellwood Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery in West Babylon, New York. It was established as the annex to Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, New York. The cemetery comprises many sections, each under the auspices of a synagogue, landsmanschaft, or group ...
in
West Babylon
West Babylon is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Babylon in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 43,213 at the 2010 census.
Geography
West Babylon is located at (40.713399, -73.357106).
West Babylon is bo ...
, New York.
Family
Screenwriter
David Rayfiel (1923–2011) was his son.
See also
*
List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
*
List of Jewish American jurists
This is a list of notable Jewish American jurists. For other famous Jewish Americans, see Lists of American Jews.
Supreme Court of the United States
Federal judges Appellate judges
* Robert E. Bacharach, Judge of the United States Court of ...
References
Sources
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rayfiel, Leo F
1888 births
1978 deaths
20th-century American politicians
20th-century American judges
New York University School of Law alumni
Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly
Judges of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
United States district court judges appointed by Harry S. Truman
Jewish members of the United States House of Representatives
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
Burials at Wellwood Cemetery