Leon Sanders (May 25, 1867 – August 18, 1937) was a Jewish-American lawyer, politician, and judge from New York.

Early Life and Education

Leon Sanders was born on May 25, 1867, in

Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...

, Russian Empire, to Nathan Sanders and Elka Green. He immigrated to America with his parents as a child. Sanders attended

New York Law School New York Law School (NYLS) is a private law school in Tribeca, New York City. NYLS has a full-time day program and a part-time evening program. NYLS's faculty includes 54 full-time and 59 adjunct professors. Notable faculty members include E ...

while working as a clerk for the Commissioner of Jurors in New York City. He was admitted to the bar in 1895.

Career

Sanders began his career working as a clerk for Drake, Mastin & Company, and later as a bookkeeper for the

Baumann Brothers File:Joseph-francis-baumann.jpg , Joseph F. Baumann File:Albert-benjamin-baumann-sr.jpg , Albert B. Baumann, Sr. The Baumann family was a family of American architects who practiced in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the surrounding region, in the l ...

and

Edison General Electric Company Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventio ...

. He eventually specialized in legal matters related to distilleries and wholesale liquor houses, establishing himself as a prominent business lawyer. A leader in Tammany Hall, Sanders was known for his oratory and debating skills. He was elected to 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 ...

in 1898 as a Democrat, representing New York County's 12th District. He served from 1899 to 1902. In 1903, Sanders was elected as a Justice of the New York City Municipal Court, serving until 1913 when he resigned to return to private law practice. In the 1916 United States congressional election, Sanders ran as the Democratic candidate for New York's 12th congressional district but lost to Socialist Meyer London.

Community Involvement

Sanders was deeply involved in Jewish causes and fraternal organizations. He served as president of the Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society and chaired the Committee on Immigration of the

American Jewish Congress The American Jewish Congress (AJCongress or AJC) is an association of American Jews organized to defend Jewish interests at home and abroad through public policy advocacy, using diplomacy, legislation, and the courts. History The AJCongress was ...

. Sanders also held leadership roles as Grand Master of the Independent Order of B'rith Abraham and president of the Jewish Fraternal Congress. He was a member of the board of governors of the

Jewish Maternity Hospital Jewish Maternity Hospital was an obstetrics hospital located at 270–272 East Broadway, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City. History Jewish Maternity Hospital was chartered in 1906 and opened on February 15, 1909. It catered to the ...

and a founder and president of Temple Beth-El in Cedarhurst.

Personal Life

In 1896, Sanders married Bertha Fischer. They had three children: Frances Van Pragg, Theresa Penner, and Nathan N.

Death

Leon Sanders was killed in a car accident in California on August 18, 1937. He was buried in Mount Lebanon Cemetery.

References

External links

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The Political Graveyard
' {{DEFAULTSORT:Sanders, Leon 1867 births 1937 deaths Odesa Jews Jews from the Russian Empire People from Odessky Uyezd American people of Russian-Jewish descent Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States American lawyers Jewish American state legislators in New York (state) Lawyers from New York City 19th-century American lawyers 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American judges Municipal judges in the United States New York (state) state court judges Politicians from Manhattan 19th-century American politicians 20th-century American politicians Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Road incident deaths in California Burials at Mount Lebanon Cemetery