Justices of the Court (Historical)

Samuel Greenbaum

Associate Justice: 1920-1922
Born: 1854
Died: August 26, 1930

Born, January 23, 1854 in London, England, Samuel Greenbaum was the son of Louis and Rachel (Schlesinger) Greenbaum. He came to the United States with his parents at the age of three and attended New York City public schools. Justice Greenbaum graduated from the College of the City of New York in 1872 and obtained his law degree from Columbia College Law School in 1875. While attending law school and until 1877, he taught at P.S. 59 in New York City.

From 1877 to 1900, Justice Greenbaum practiced law, first as a solo practitioner and then as a member of the firm of Hays & Greenbaum. In 1900 he was appointed to fill an unexpired term in the New York State Supreme Court. One year later, he was elected to his first full fourteen-year term and was re-elected in November 1915 to another full term.

In 1920, Governor Al Smith designated Justice Greenbaum an Associate Justice of the Appellate Division, First Department, where he sat until his resignation in 1922. At that time he resumed private practice.

Throughout his life, Justice Greenbaum remained active in many professional, civic and charitable organizations. He was president of the Educational Alliance from 1912 to 1926. He had also served as president of the Aguilar Free Library Society; had been a trustee of the New York Public Library for many years, as well as a trustee of the League for Political Education, Jewish Welfare Board, and Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He was also a member of the Society for Medical Jurisprudence, Civil Service Reform Association, Free Trade League, and many bar associations.

Justice Greenbaum married Selina Ullman on March 13, 1888. They had four children – Lawrence Samuel, Edward Samuel, Grace and Isabel. His wife passed away in 1925.

SOURCES

• Who’s Who in New York - Ninth Edition [Winfield Scott Downs, ed.], Who’s Who Publications, Inc., New York, 1929, p. 690-91.
• Obituary, The New York Times, August 27, 1930, p. 21.