Untermyer, Samuel

Untermyer, Samuel, 1858–1940, American lawyer and civic leader, b. Lynchburg, Va., grad. Columbia law school, 1878. He gained fame as a lawyer and took part in some of the country's most important litigation. He served as counsel to the congressional committee headed by Arsène Pujo that investigated (1912) money trusts, and to the Lockwood committee of the New York legislature, which probed (1921–22) statewide housing conditions. As special counsel until 1933 in the famous New York City transit suits, he helped maintain the five-cent subway fare. Untermyer was a staunch advocate of stock-market regulations, government ownership of railroads, and various legal reforms. A leading crusader against anti-Semitism, Untermyer was active in the movement to boycott Germany after Hitler rose to power.