Robert Szold

Robert Szold (1889–1977) was a 20th-century American lawyer, best known as a champion for the reform of child labor law and as a Zionist movement leader as well as a founding partner of Szold, Brandwen, Meyers and Altern.

Background

Robert Szold was born on September 29, 1889, in Streator, Illinois. His parents were merchants: Adolph Szold of Berehove, Zakarpatska, Ukraine, and Rachel Esther Gumbiner of Poland. He had three siblings. In 1909, he received a BA from Knox College. In 1912, he received a law degree with honors from Harvard University. Lowenthal (1888–1971) became a director of the Amalgamated Bank and, later, a close advisor to U.S. President Harry S. Truman. Brandwen (1896–1986) became general counsel to the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and a managing director of Amalgamated Bank. ) His clients included the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, led by Sidney Hillman. He also served as president of the United Housing Foundation.

In 1945, Szold began serving as chairman of the board of the Palestine Economics Corporation through 1960.

In 1946, at the 22nd World Zionist Congress, Szold supported Weizmann (against Abba Hillel Silver) to negotiate with the British.

Works

The Proposed Partition of Palestine (1937) Zionism: Its Cardinal Principle (address at the joint session of the Convention of the Zionist Organization of America and of Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America) (1942) War time Palestine (1944) The State of Israel in International Law: A Historical Survey (1958) A Galaxy of American Zionist Rishonim: Dr. Harry Friedenwald (1962) 77 Great Russell Street: Recollections of Robert Szold (1967)