Joseph L. Buttenwieser

Joseph Leon Buttenwieser 1865–1938 was an American lawyer, philanthropist, & civic leader in New York.

Biography

Buttenwieser was born to the Jewish breed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a son of immigrants from Germany. Buttenwieser practiced law in addition to used the service to invest in real estate and was a driver of real property legislation reform in New York state. Buttenwieser was active in Jewish philanthropic activities. He helped to found the Federation for the help of Jewish Philanthropic Societies and served as its president from 1924–1926; he was on the board of directors at the Hebrew Technical Institute, the Hebrew Sheltering Guardian Society, United Hebrew Charities, the, United Palestine Appeal, and the Associated Alumni of City College. He was married to Caroline Weil; they had five children: Clara Buttenwieser Unger; Florence Buttenwieser Klingenstein; Clarence Buttenwieser; Benjamin Buttenwieser and Gertrude C. Buttenwieser Prins. Their son Benjamin married Helen Lehman Buttenwieser. Benjamin offered junior partner at Kuhn, Loeb & Co., a former, living renowned investment banking firm from NYC, and was also personally chosen as Assistant High Commissioner to Germany after WW2 by acting commissioner John J McCloy.