A. Leo Weil

A. Leo Weil
Born
Adolphus Leo Weil

(1858-07-19)July 19, 1858
Keysville, Virginia
DiedSeptember 17, 1938(1938-09-17) (aged 80)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
EducationUniversity of Virginia
OccupationLawyer
Spouse
Cassie Ritter
​
(m. 1883)​
Children3
Signature

Adolphus Leo Weil (July 19, 1858 – September 17, 1938) was a Jewish-American lawyer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Life

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Weil was born on July 19, 1858, in Keysville, Virginia, the son of Bavarian immigrants Isaac L. and Minnia Weil. He moved with his family to Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1869.[1]

Weil began attending the University of Virginia in 1876 and graduated from there in 1879.[2] He was admitted to the Virginia bar later that year, and by 1880 he was also admitted to the Ohio and Pennsylvania bar. He then began practicing law in Bradford, Pennsylvania, in 1880. In 1888, he moved to Pittsburgh, where he became the legal representative of large interests and made a specialty of corporation law. By 1916, he was senior member of the law firm Weil & Thorp,[3] and by 1931 he was senior member of the law firm Weil, Christy & Weil with his two sons. He made a number of connections with oil and gas operators shortly after arriving in Pittsburgh, and over the years became involved in a number of leading cases related to the production and transportation of petroleum and natural gas. He was involved in one case before the United States Supreme Court related to a state's right to prohibit transportation of its own gas product beyond its own boundaries.[4]

Weil was a member of the Voters' League of Pittsburgh for many years and became its president in 1905. Seeing to combat corruption in office and establish honest government, he directed the Voters' League to oppose the regime of bribery and mismanagement of public affairs rife in the city at the time. His crusade led to 98 members of the select and common councils being indicted for malfeasance along with several bankers, merchants, and other businessmen. The League then helped amend the city charter to replace the former councils of 150 members from the wards with a new body of nine members elected at large. His efforts also led to investigations of the city school boards, which consisted of numerous directors elected by the school districts, and the investigations culminated in the school system being reorganized to consist of a board of directors of schools who were appointed by the judges of the court common pleas. His civic reform record led him to consult reform organizations in other cities, deliver lectures to members of those reform organizations, and help organize reform movements in other states. He was an executive committee member of the National Municipal League and a member of the Pennsylvania Civil Service Association.[5]

An active participant in Jewish life, Weil was a board member and vice-president of Rodef Shalom Congregation, an incorporator and executive committee member of the American Jewish Committee, a trustee of the Jewish Publication Society of America, vice-president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism and the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, and an executive committee member of the Federated Jewish Philanthropies of Pittsburgh.[6] He was also a member of the American Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Pittsburgh Athletic Association, the Congressional Country Club, the City Club of New York, the Concordia Club, and the Westmoreland Country Club.[7] In 1883, he married Cassie Ritter of Youngstown, Ohio. Their children were Aimee Leonia (wife of Julian H. Stern of Milwaukee, Wisconsin), Ferdinand T., and A. Leo Jr.[8]

Weil died at home from pneumonia on September 17, 1938.[9] His funeral was held at his residence in the Schenley Apartments. Rabbi Solomon Freehof of Rodef Shalom Congregation officiated the funeral service. He was buried in West View Cemetery.[10]

References

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  1. ^ Rook, Charles Alexander, ed. (1923). Western Pennsylvanians. Pittsburgh, P.A.: Western Pennsylvania Biographical Association. pp. 165, 363 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Crenshaw, Lewis D., ed. (1921). Directory of the Living Alumni of the University of Virginia. p. 26 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Jordan, John W. (1916). Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania Biography. Vol. VI. New York, N.Y.: Lewis Historical Publishing Company. pp. 1848–1849 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Harper, Frank C. (1931). Pittsburgh of Today: Its Resources and People. Vol. III. New York, N.Y.: The American Historical Society. p. 71 – via Internet Archive.
  5. ^ The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. C. New York, N.Y.: James T. White & Company. 1930. p. 306 – via HathiTrust.
  6. ^ "Weil, A. Leo". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  7. ^ Who's Who in American Jewry, 1926. New York, N.Y.: The Jewish Biographical Bureau, Inc. January 1927. p. 636 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ Schneiderman, Harry, ed. (1939). The American Jewish Year Book, 5700 (PDF). Vol. 41. Philadelphia, P.A.: The Jewish Publication Society of America. pp. 75–78 – via American Jewish Committee Archives.
  9. ^ "A. Leo Weil, 80, Taken by Death". The Pittsburgh Press. Vol. 55, no. 84. September 18, 1938. pp. 1, 6 – via Google News Archive.
  10. ^ "A. Leo Weil Called By Death In 80th Year". The American Jewish Outlook. Vol. 8, no. 16. September 23, 1938. p. 151 – via Carnegie Mellon University Digital Collections.
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