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Abraham Lincoln Marovitz was born 10 AUG 1905 in Oshkosh, Winnebago, Wisconsin. He died ABT 17 MAR 2001 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Federal Judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz dies at age 95
Mike Robinson : The Associated Press : March 17, 2001
U.S. District Judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz, one of the best-known fig
ures on the federal bench in Chicago for almost three decades, died Sat
urday in his North Side home after a long illness. He was 95.
A favorite of Chicago Democratic politicians, he swore in Richard J. Da
ley as mayor of Chicago six times. He administered the same mayoral oat
h to Daley's son, Richard M. Daley, three times.
Marovitz owed much of his rise from office boy in a law firm to federal j
udge to help from legendary Democratic leader Jacob Arvey.
A popular after-dinner speaker, Marovitz quipped to audiences that he h
ad "climbed Jacob's ladder" on his way to the federal bench.
Mayor Richard M. Daley, marching in Chicago's St. Patrick's Day parade S
aturday, paused to express his sadness.
"We used to call him Uncle Abe because he was my dad's best friend," Da
ley said.
Marovitz "always went out of his way to help people," the mayor said. "
He did so many kind things, especially with young lawyers and young law c
lerks."
Marvin E. Aspen, chief judge of the U.S. District Court, called Marovit
z "a Chicago icon."
"He had a profound influence on the lives of countless Chicagoans, from t
he most famous to the most humble," Aspen said.
Marovitz was born Aug. 10, 1905, in Oshkosh, Wis., to Jewish immigrant p
arents. The family moved to Chicago's historic Maxwell Street area when h
e was five. As a teen, he became an office boy in a law firm.
One of the partners, impressed at seeing young Marovitz fight in an ama
teur boxing match, helped to pay his law school tuition.
Marovitz was an assistant state's attorney from 1927 to 1933 when he we
nt into private practice. Clients who became friends included Bob Hope, F
rank Sinatra and Jimmy Durante.
Marovitz was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1938.
At the outbreak of World War II, Marovitz, then 38, enlisted in the Mar
ine Corps and served in the Pacific where he suffered shrapnel wounds. H
e was a sergeant major when he was discharged in 1946.
Marovitz was elected Superior Court judge in 1950 and was chief justice o
f the criminal court in 1958 and 1959. He was named to the federal benc
h in 1963 and took senior status a dozen years later but continued to p
reside over cases until 1990.
He was the son of Joseph Marovitz (c1872-c1941) and Rachel Glowitz (c1874-1957). His siblings were Jeanette Marovitz (c1900-1964), Bessie Marovitz (c1902-1970), Harold Marovitz (1903-1989), Sydney Robert Marovitz (1910-1989).
Abraham Lincoln Marovitz was listed in a census 7 JAN 1920 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.
He was listed in a census 14 APR 1930 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.
He had an event of type Living 1999.
He had an event of type Misc.
He had an event of type Misc. http://innsofcourt.org/innshome/30227/30227.htm
Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Inn of Court
Our Inn is named for Senior Federal Judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz of t
he United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. J
udge Marovitz is one of the most
remarkable Chicagoans living today: a man who graduated from law school a
t the age of 19, was elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1939, enli
sted in the Marine Corps at age 38 and served in the Pacific theater, b
ecame an Illinois Superior Court judge in 1950, was elected Chief Justi
ce of the Criminal Court and, on October 1, 1963, following nomination b
y President John F. Kennedy, was sworn in as a United States District J
udge. Although he assumed senior status in 1975, Judge Marovitz can sti
ll be found working in his chambers nearly every day. His kindness, war
mth and dignity have been honored by numerous organizations, of which w
e are only one, but in naming our Inn for Judge Marovitz we hope to mar
k his presence as the civilized lawyer.
He had an event of type Misc. Honorable gift
By DOUG POKORSKI
STAFF WRITER
A collection of more than 500 books, pamphlets and artwork related to A
braham Lincoln was donated Monday to the Lincoln Presidential Library a
nd Museum.
The collection, amassed over a lifetime by the late Judge Abraham Linco
ln Marovitz, was donated to the state of Illinois by the late judge's e
state.
In a ceremony at the Old State Capitol, Illinois first lady Lura Lynn R
yan said that, of all the donations that have been made to the presiden
tial library, the Marovitz collection was "the one most dear to me."
"Abraham Lincoln Marovitz was a dear friend of mine," Ryan said. "(He) h
ad a record of public service that spanned most of the past century. He w
as the most recognized, most respected and well-loved public figure in I
llinois for many decades."
The Marovitz collection includes 450 books and pamphlets, more than 100 p
rints and photographs and more than 30 pieces of sculpture.
Several early Illinois lawbooks are part of the collection, including a c
opy of the laws passed by the 10th General Assembly from 1837-39 that w
as owned by David Davis, a state judge and political associate of Linco
ln's whom the 16th president appointed to the Supreme Court of the Unit
ed States in 1862.
Marovitz owned every book about Lincoln's legal career and every signif
icant scholarly biography of Lincoln.
State Historian Tom Schwartz said the printed items in the collection a
re important not only for the information they contain, but also becaus
e of what they reveal about Marovitz himself. For example, a copy of a 1
973 biography of Lincoln's rival Stephen A. Douglas was given to Marovi
tz by his lifelong friend Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley.
Daley inscribed the book with the following: "I thought you would enjoy t
he new biography of Stephen A. Douglas, the 'Little Giant,' who in my o
pinion is the outstanding Democratic leader in the history of Illinois.
"
The son of Lithuanian immigrants, Marovitz was born in Oshkosh, Wis., i
n 1905. His mother named him after Lincoln because she had been impress
ed with Lincoln's character after hearing about him at a New York settl
ement house lecture.
Marovitz often remarked that his mother thought Lincoln was Jewish beca
use John Wilkes Booth shot him in the temple.
Marovitz's family later moved to Chicago, and he enrolled in Chicago-Ke
nt College of Law at the age of 16. At 22, he became the youngest perso
n to serve as a Cook County assistant state's attorney.
In private practice, he represented labor leaders and some of the most n
otorious gangsters in the city, including North Side boss Ted Newberry, c
onfidence man Willie Bioff and Gus Winkler, who was believed to have be
en one of the machine gunners at the St. Valentine's Day massacre.
Marovitz became the first Jew to be elected to the Illinois Senate in 1
938. Remembering prejudices he had suffered as a youth, he helped intro
duce the state's first fair employment legislation barring discriminati
on based on race, religion or sex.
Marovitz left the state Senate to serve in the U.S. Marines during Worl
d War II. He was wounded during combat in the Philippines but turned do
wn a Purple Heart because he said other soldiers were injured more seri
ously.
After the war, Marovitz returned to the Senate and was later a Cook Cou
nty Criminal Court judge. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy appointed h
im federal judge for the Northern District of Illinois. He died in Marc
h 2001 at the age of 95.
Ryan said it was fitting that the Marovitz collection become a part of t
he new Lincoln Presidential Library. The core of the library is the Hen
ry Horner Lincoln Collection, a part of what is now the Illinois State H
istorical Library. Marovitz was a trustee of the State Historical Libra
ry from 1961 to 1969.
He had an event of type Misc. Deeds were his creed
"You're leaving home with your self respect. Make sure you come home wi
th it, too." With that admonition U rather than "Have a nice day" or "E
njoy the journey" U Abe Marovitz went off to school or work with the st
ern words of his father, Joseph, ringing in his ears.
Later on, he took them to heart, along with mom Rachel's request that h
e "do a little mitzvah every day." Throughout his life, the judge wore h
is parents' pictures on his cufflinks, just in case he had to be remind
ed to make them proud of him.
It was that familial bond that saved him from having to answer anything b
ut "Yes!" to the questions in a favorite poem: "Is anybody happier beca
use you passed his way? Does anyone remember that you spoke to him toda
y?"
A mitzvah a day was a minimum requirement. In fact, somebody up there m
ight just be tallying the Abraham Lincoln Marovitz record and learning w
ith amazement that he did more than a hundred thousand good deeds, big a
nd small, during the eight decades of his adult life.
You remember the surprise phone calls U a birthday, a death in the fami
ly, a small achievement or a big disappointment that made news, or his g
ratitude for a blessing received.
My first was a hastily scribbled, almost cryptic "Mazeltov!" soon after t
he ISBA announced in 1987 that it would honor me with a Board of Govern
ors Award. "I judge better than I write," he added, and I could feel th
e twinkle.
My precedent admiration for Abe dated to 1985, when he officiated at th
e installation of Fred Lane as ISBA president. That was a time, before F
red prevailed in his disagreement with the ARDC, when no Supreme Court j
ustice would administer the oath. Judge Marovitz would, without questio
n, and did so with gusto.
Thereafter, it occurred to me that hardly a major law-related event in t
he Chicago area was credible unless Abraham Lincoln Marovitz was there U o
ften on the way from another to still others on the same day or night.
His peripatetic presence was inspired partly by a love for the collegia
lity of his brothers and sisters of the bar and charities, and partly b
y the need to endorse the efforts of those who labored for the good cau
ses and worthy initiatives that made life comfortable for the afflicted
.
By contrast, Abe Marovitz could have been moved to afflict the comforta
ble U the pretentious phonies and immoral opportunists U but he would s
uffer one of them no public censure. Instead, he'd go home and thank Go
d for "making me the way I am and not like that miserable S.O.B."
The judge could be tough, but in a helping way. Charlie Winkler tells t
he story of one of his first cases, a dram shop matter in front of Supe
rior Court Judge Marovitz in 1962. The jurist took exception to apparen
t inconsistent testimony in the plaintiff's deposition.
"He didn't like the tone of it, and he chewed me out after telling the c
ourt reporter to take a break," Winkler recalls. "Judge Marovitz said h
e wanted me to be a good lawyer; he threw the case out, but he was nice a
bout it."
Fred Lane remembers seeing the judge walking the courthouse hallways, r
obe over his arm, visiting with people involved in cases to see if he c
ould explain the process or reassure those who seemed upset. "He would h
ave been a great mediator," Lane said.
And so he was, when you think about it. Abe Marovitz was always trying t
o bring people together to support programs that would uplift other peo
ple, instill pride in the helpless and homeless, or keep kids from goin
g astray. Scholarships were endowed for "minimally qualified indigent s
tudents like me," he'd say.
Most of all, especially during his senior status as a federal judge, Ab
e Marovitz took pride in the heartfelt feelings he shared with countles
s classes of immigrants who looked forward with great hope to the rites a
nd rights of citizenship. How many? Fifty thousand is a conservative gu
ess.
Each ceremony, and perhaps each new American, evoked memories of his Li
thuanian father and Russian mother who sought a better life, free of op
pression, for the Marovitz family on our soil. Abe surely thought he ow
ed Joseph and Rachel for the sacrifices they made and the lessons they t
aught him, and he made so many others like them feel welcome here.
The poem we quoted from in the third paragraph ends with another questi
on: "As you close your eyes in slumber, do you think that God will say, '
You have earned one more tomorrow by the work you did today'?"
Abraham Lincoln Marovitz truly earned more than 34,000 tomorrows, and h
e invested them wisely in selfless service to the community he loved an
d respected.
He had an event of type Misc 20 MAR 2001.
He had an event of type Obituary 17 MAR 2001 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. Federal Judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz dies at age 95
Mike Robinson , The Associated Press
March 17, 2001
U.S. District Judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz, one of the best-known fig
ures on the federal bench in Chicago for almost three decades, died Sat
urday in his North Side home after a long illness. He was 95.
A favorite of Chicago Democratic politicians, he swore in Richard J. Da
ley as mayor of Chicago six times. He administered the same mayoral oat
h to Daley's son, Richard M. Daley, three times.
Marovitz owed much of his rise from office boy in a law firm to federal j
udge to help from legendary Democratic leader Jacob Arvey.
A popular after-dinner speaker, Marovitz quipped to audiences that he h
ad "climbed Jacob's ladder" on his way to the federal bench.
Mayor Richard M. Daley, marching in Chicago's St. Patrick's Day parade S
aturday, paused to express his sadness.
"We used to call him Uncle Abe because he was my dad's best friend," Da
ley said.
Marovitz "always went out of his way to help people," the mayor said. "
He did so many kind things, especially with young lawyers and young law c
lerks."
Marvin E. Aspen, chief judge of the U.S. District Court, called Marovit
z "a Chicago icon."
"He had a profound influence on the lives of countless Chicagoans, from t
he most famous to the most humble," Aspen said.
Marovitz was born Aug. 10, 1905, in Oshkosh, Wis., to Jewish immigrant p
arents. The family moved to Chicago's historic Maxwell Street area when h
e was five. As a teen, he became an office boy in a law firm.
One of the partners, impressed at seeing young Marovitz fight in an ama
teur boxing match, helped to pay his law school tuition.
Marovitz was an assistant state's attorney from 1927 to 1933 when he we
nt into private practice. Clients who became friends included Bob Hope, F
rank Sinatra and Jimmy Durante.
Marovitz was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1938.
At the outbreak of World War II, Marovitz, then 38, enlisted in the Mar
ine Corps and served in the Pacific where he suffered shrapnel wounds. H
e was a sergeant major when he was discharged in 1946.
Marovitz was elected Superior Court judge in 1950 and was chief justice o
f the criminal court in 1958 and 1959. He was named to the federal benc
h in 1963 and took senior status a dozen years later but continued to p
reside over cases until 1990.
He had an event of type Yahrzeit.
He had an event of type Military Servic 1943.
He resided 1969 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.
He resided ABT 1910 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.
He resided 7 JAN 1920 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.
He resided 14 APR 1930 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.
His occupation was lawyer. The dates were 1927. The place was Chicago, Cook, Illinois. private practice with Rittenhouse, Marovitz & Wallenstein, office 134 N L aSalle St
His occupation was Asst State's atty. The dates were BET 1927 AND 1932. The place was Chicago, Cook, Illinois.
His occupation was Illinois State Senate: 19th Dist. The dates were 1939.
His occupation was Illinois Superior Court judge. The dates were 1950.
His occupation was Chief Justice of the Criminal Court. The dates were BEF 1963.
His occupation was United States District Judge. The dates were 1 OCT 1963.
His social security number was 344-18-6653 issued Illinois.