Felix Frankfurter
Felix Frankfurter: A Life of Public Service and Jurisprudence
#### Full Name and Common Aliases
Felix Frankfurter was born as Felix Frankfurth on November 15, 1882. He is often referred to as Frankfurter or by his honorific title, Mr. Justice.
#### Birth and Death Dates
November 15, 1882 – February 22, 1965
#### Nationality and Profession(s)
Nationality: American (naturalized in 1938)
Profession: Jurist, Lawyer, Professor, Writer, Judge of the United States Supreme Court
#### Early Life and Background
Felix Frankfurter was born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, to a Jewish family. His father, Leopold Frankfurter, was an engineer and inventor who encouraged his children's intellectual pursuits. Frankfurter developed an early interest in law, politics, and social justice. He attended the University of Vienna, where he studied law and philosophy under prominent scholars like Hans Kelsen and Martin Buber.
#### Major Accomplishments
Frankfurter's academic achievements earned him a doctorate from the University of Vienna at age 20. He then moved to England, where he taught economics and politics at the University College in London. In 1914, Frankfurter migrated to the United States, settling initially in New York City. During World War I, he served as a civilian administrator for the U.S. government, working on issues related to war production and labor.
#### Notable Works or Actions
Frankfurter's most notable contributions include his work with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and his advocacy for workers' rights. He was a key figure in shaping the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions on free speech, due process, and civil liberties. Some of his landmark opinions include Gitlow v. New York (1925), Schenck v. United States (1919), and New Deal policies.
#### Impact and Legacy
Frankfurter's dedication to social justice, equality, and the rule of law left a lasting impact on American society. His scholarship and opinions shaped constitutional law, influencing generations of jurists and policymakers. As Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1939 to 1962, Frankfurter played a pivotal role in shaping U.S. jurisprudence.
#### Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Felix Frankfurter's remarkable life has inspired numerous quotes and references. His commitment to justice, civil liberties, and democratic values resonates with scholars, policymakers, and the general public. As a leading jurist of his time, he continues to be widely quoted in discussions about constitutional law, human rights, and social responsibility.
Frankfurter's legacy extends beyond his judicial opinions; it reflects his unwavering dedication to promoting a more just society. His life serves as an example of perseverance, intellectual curiosity, and service to the public good, inspiring new generations of leaders, scholars, and citizens.
Felix Frankfurter's contributions have left an indelible mark on American history. As we continue to grapple with complex social issues, his vision for a more just society remains an essential guiding light, reminding us that public service is not only a duty but also a privilege.
Quotes by Felix Frankfurter
Felix Frankfurter's insights on:
I came into the world a Jew, and although I did not live my life entirely as a Jew, I think it is fitting that I should leave as a Jew. I don't want to turn my back on a great and noble heritage.
It would be a narrow conception of jurisprudence to confine the notion of ‘laws’ to what is found written on the statute books, and to disregard the gloss which life has written upon it.
For the highest exercise of judicial duty is to subordinate one’s personal pulls and one’s private views to the law of which we are all guaradians – those impersonal convictions that made a society a civilized community, and not the victims of personal rule.
Fragile as reason is and limited as law is as the institutionalised medium of reason, that’s all we have between us and the tyranny of mere will and the cruelty of unbridled, undisciplined feelings.
Future lawyers should be more aware that law is not a system of abstract logic, but the web of arrangements, rooted in history but also in hopes, for promoting to a maximum the full use of a nation’s resources and talents.
While it is not always profitable to analogize fact to fiction, La Fontaine’s fable of the crow, the cheese, and the fox demonstrates that there is a substantial difference between holding a piece of cheese in the beak and putting it in the stomach.
In the first place, lawyers better remember they are human beings, and a human being who hasn’t his periods of doubts and distresses and disappointments must be a cabbage, not a human being. That is number one.
We have enjoyed so much freedom for so long that we are perhaps in danger of forgetting how much blood it cost to establish the Bill of Rights.