Alex Elson Obituary

I always enjoyed visiting Alex and Miriam at their home and they were so welcoming and kind. I knew Alex through Manny, his brother, our "adopted" Grandfather. Given the love Manny had for us, I can only say how lucky all of us are to have been loved by an Elson!

Alex Elson was a giant of a man. He will be missed, and by many. From humble immigrant beginnings on the west side of Chicago and as one of eight siblings who attended Jane Addams' Hull House, he became a distinguished lawyer who contributed in substantial ways both to the law and to the civic life of his beloved Chicago. Alex will be remembered for his deep sense of justice and fairness. It was this quality which impelled him to be unwilling to compromise his integrity as an administrator in the Office of Price Administration during World War II or to be unwilling to look the other way (with a "wink, wink, nod, nod") at corrupt practices in the meatpacking industry in Chicago. As a result of this determination to enforce the law, Alex paid the price of being passed over for judicial appointments for which he was more than qualified. For Alex, in addition to being a "lawyer's lawyer," also possessed a superb judicial temperament. Being denied the opportunity to become a judge, he nonetheless found ways to exercise his judiciousness through the field of arbitration, to which he made profound national contributions. As a lawyer, Alex fought 13 long years to establish shareholders' rights in corporate cases. When I asked him once why this took so long, he explained "the other side fought us every step of the way so hard that we had to go up and down several times through the court system until finally achieving our ruling by the US Supreme Court."

Alex Elson was a modest man, soft spoken and gracious in his social self, while underneath burning with a passion for fairness and respect for the common man and woman. Guests to the home of Alex and his beloved wife, Miriam, always felt welcomed by a warm and embracing hospitality which included a genuine interest from Alex and Miriam about who they were, and how they were doing in the difficult business of life. For all his lifelong work in the law, and his many preoccupations in Chicago's civic life, Alex always found time and feeling to devote to his wife, his two daughters, his many nieces and nephews, cousins, and grandchildren. I was fortunate to have Alex as my uncle. As Rose Kennedy said upon the death of her son, Robert, "his likes will not soon pass this way again."

Alex Elson was a wonderful person. Among his notable achievements: I believe he wrote the model child labor laws that were adopted in the late 1930's by many of the states; he was national chairman of Democrats for Stevenson in 1952; in addition to lawyers, he taught law to social workers; he created a foundation supporting the First Amendment; he created programs for teaching schoolchildren about such topics as tenant-landlord law; and at 95 he published a critique of the American Law Institute's policy on board membership. He was deeply loved by his wife and family, and he was gracious to everyone he met.

Alex holds a special place in my heart. He reached out to me when I was new to the Academy and extended a hand of friendship. He was always "down to earth" and a very special person.

Alex was a model to all of us in the arbitration profession. We can't hope to match his accomplishments, but we should all try to emulate him.

Our condolences to your family. We are actually related to you on Alex Elson's mother's side. My father-in-law, Leonard Brodsky is a first cousin to Alex. His father, Joseph was Alex's mother's brother. Leonard lost touch with many family members over the years. He is 89 years old and lives in the Chicago area. Please, contact us at 219-922-7836, as family is so precious and few, and life is too fleeting to miss out on family.