Russell N. Chase (1900-1980) was a lawyer who was president of the Cleveland, Ohio, chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 18, 1900, Chase served in the Army from October 28-December 16, 1918 as a private and was honorably discharged. He was a graduate of the Asheville School (a preparatory school in North Carolina), Cornell University, and the Western Reserve University School of Law.
He graduated from law school in 1925 and, after traveling abroad, set up a law practice in Cleveland. His cases, usually handled alone, related primarily to estates and civil liberties. In the 1940s he was involved in various civil liberties cases regarding the foreign born accused of communist activities and affiliations. He was president of the National Lawyers Guild, an organization of liberal lawyers cited as un-American by the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1950. He was a member of the Hermit and University clubs and was a past president of the Cornell Club of Cleveland. He retired in 1972 and died on April 24, 1980, in Hunting Valley, Ohio.
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Russell N. Chase
From the guide to the Russell N. Chase Papers, 1927-1964, (Western Reserve Historical Society)
