Oppenheim, Samuel, 1857-1928

Samuel Oppenheim, American lawyer and historian, was born in New York City on December 2, 1859 to Isaac and Melia Oppenheim. Educated at the College of the City of New York and Columbia Law School, he was admitted to the New York Bar in 1885. As a lawyer, he worked with noted attorneys Simon Sterne and Oscar S. Straus. Oppenheim served as secretary of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors from 1889-1891 and assistant general counsel from 1896-1901 for the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway Company. He also served as secretary of the Central Park Involvement Company from 1887-1901 and as the recording secretary of the American Jewish Historical Society from 1914 to 1927. Other affiliations included the New York State Historical Association, Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the London Shorthand Society, and the Judaeans, a Jewish community organization in New York.

In addition to his legal work, and perhaps what he is best known for is his efforts to better understand the history of Jews in the Americas, and in particular, those living in the colonial period. His research was not limited to those in the British colonies but also encompassed those living in the Dutch colonies in what is modern-day Brazil, New York, and Suriname. Much of Oppenheim's writings can be found in the Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society .

He passed away on August 11, 1928, being survived by his siblings and their children.

From the guide to the Samuel Oppenheim Papers, undated, 1614-1938, (American Jewish Historical Society)