Charles Cuprill Oppenheimer

Charles Cuprill Oppenheimer (September 12, 1916 – October 7, 2011) was a lawyer, Rotary District Governor for Puerto Rico, a war veteran, and a retired major general in the Puerto Rico National Guard.

Background

On September 12, 1916 Cuprill Oppenheimer was born in the City of Ponce, Puerto Rico, at the time the second largest and one of the most important cities in Puerto Rico, economically, culturally, socially, and politically. His father was Ramón Fundador Cuprill Rivera and his mother Isabel Oppenheimer Figueroa. He had five siblings: Lydian, Irma, Warren, Charles Evans and Rambel. Cuprill Oppenheimer married his college sweetheart Lidia María Hernández Collazo from the prominent Central Mercedita sugar cane plantation refinery and Don Q rum distillery where her father civil engineer José Alfredo Hernández Buitrago worked for almost five decades. He was married to Lidia for over 60 years. They had three children named Charles Alfred, Hector Rambel, and Raymond Warren. He dearly loved and much enjoyed spending time with all his six grandchildren (Marilu, Natalie, Hector, Mercedes, Charles, and Diana), as well as his many great-grandchildren. He enjoyed the simple things in life and loved the company of his family and friends. He enjoyed the passage of time with friends and family at "Monticello" (how he affectionately called his farm retreat upon the top of the majestic mountains of Puerto Rico). He was an avid world traveler with his wife Lidia. They traveled extensively throughout the North American Continent, Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.

Military career

Charles Cuprill Oppenheimer was a United States veteran of World War II and the Korean War. Cuprill Oppenheimer enrolled in the Army ROTC program and graduated in 1940. By 1941-1942 Cuprill Oppenheimer took a temporary leave of absence from attending the University of Puerto Rico School of Law when he was asked to serve in the United States Army during World War II as a 2nd lieutenant in Company "L" 65th Infantry Regiment. After World War II ended, at 30 years of age and with the rank of major, he was honorably discharged from active duty military service in 1946 to resume the pursuit of a law degree and a law career.

After obtaining his license to practice law from the United States Supreme Court and in 1947, his law practice was temporarily interrupted again from 1950-1953 when Cuprill Oppenheimer was ordered to return to military active duty with the Puerto Rico National Guard during the Korean War. During the Korean War, Cuprill Oppenheimer commanded the 3rd Battalion of the 296th Infantry Regiment (note: the 296th was mobilized on September 14, 1952, so that it could provide replacements to its sister company deployed in Korea). Cuprill Oppenheimer later became the Commanding Officer of the Henry Barracks Army base in Cayey, Puerto Rico, where United States' draftees were trained before being sent as replacements to the 65th Infantry Regiment.

He retired from the Puerto Rico National Guard with the rank of major general.
Among his active involvement in many other military organizations, such as the Reserve Officers Association (ROA) he was proud to have founded the Ponce Chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW) along with his son Hector, of which both are life members.

Law career

Cuprill Oppenheimer was admitted to the practice of law in Puerto Rico in 1947 by the Puerto Rico Supreme Court (note: at the time, the bar examination and admission process was such that upon graduation of law school, an individual candidate had to undergo an extensive oral examination administered by each individual Puerto Rico Supreme Court Justice, and upon passing the bar exam, the U.S. Supreme Court would admit and confer upon the successful candidate a license to practice law in Puerto Rico). Cuprill Oppenheimer was also admitted to the United States Supreme Court Bar. As previously noted his law career was interrupted twice when he had to answer the call by the United States to serve his nation during World War II and the Korean War. He was rewarded for his sacrifices by having a successful law practice in good standing with the legal community for well over 50 years. Cuprill Oppenheimer is well known for his appellate work (Property law and Administrative law) and for having been instrumental and influential in setting landmark jurisprudence with the Puerto Rico Supreme Court in a multitude of his cases argued before the P.R. Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Academia

He earned his bachelor in political science from the University of Puerto Rico in 1940 and his Juris Doctor from the UPR school of law in 1947.

He served three terms as Dean of Pontifical Catholic University School of Law. During his tenures as Dean, the Law School received approval of the American Bar Association.
He was one of the founders and a trustee emeritus of the Ponce School of Medicine.

Cuprill was a two-time president of Phi Sigma Alpha and "Hermano Emeritus" Medal holder of the Fraternity.

In 1950, he was one of the founders of the Gamma-Boriquen chapter of Fi Sigma Alpha fraternity.
Rotary International was the most important part of his life. Initially joining the Ponce Rotary Club, he was later co-founder and first President of the El Vigia Rotary Rotary Club. One of the highlights of his life was to be selected as Rotary Governor for the Puerto Rico District. He also often participated in the DeLand Rotary Club.
Cuprill Oppenheimer was appointed to Government Committees by all the elected Governors of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. He was also Chairman of the PR Electoral Reform Commission. He was a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Legacy

The Charles R. Cuprill Oppenheimer Award is given yearly by the Law School to the Graduate Student obtaining the Most Outstanding Grade in the Administrative Law Course he taught for five decades.

Cuprill Oppenheimer is a Law Professor Emeritus of the Pontifical Catholic University of School of Law.

The Federalist Society Chapter of the Pontifical Catholic University School of Law is named after Charles R. Cuprill Oppenheimer.

Cuprill Oppenheimer's three sons, Charles Alfred, Hector Rambel, Sr., and Raymond Warren also became attorneys. Cuprill Oppenheimer's oldest grandson Hector R. Cuprill, Jr. and his youngest granddaughter Diana I. Cuprill further continued his legacy by pursuing law careers—one practices law in the Orlando Metro Area, Florida, and the other in the San Juan Metro Area, Puerto Rico.

His oldest son, attorney Charles A. Cuprill Hernandez, a prominent bankruptcy business reorganization specialist is involved in the sport of thoroughbred racing and a twice winner of the Pennsylvania Breeder's Award, an avocation passed from father to son. The teaching vocation was passed on to his son Hector R. Cuprill Hernandez, a business and civil trial lawyer, who for two decades taught Civil Procedure and Evidence, as well as assisting him as Associate Dean, at the Catholic University of PR Law School. His youngest son, Raymond Warren Cuprill Hernandez retired from the Legal Division of the National Highway Administration in D.C.

Awards and decorations

Badges:
*  Combat Infantryman Badge

References

External links

Biography of Charles R. Cuprill

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuprill Oppenheimer, Charles
1916 births
2011 deaths
Burials at Cementerio Las Mercedes
Military personnel from Ponce
United States Army personnel of World War II
United States Army personnel of the Korean War
Deans of law schools in the United States
Puerto Rican military officers
Puerto Rican Army personnel
Puerto Rico National Guard personnel
National Guard (United States) generals
Puerto Rican academics
University of Puerto Rico alumni