Joseph L. Buttenwieser

Buttenwieser was born to a Jewish family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of immigrants from Germany.[1] Buttenwieser practiced law and used the proceeds to invest in real estate and was a driver of real property legislation changes in New York state. Buttenwieser was active in Jewish philanthropic activities.[1] He helped to found the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies and served as its president from 1924–1926; he was on the board of directors at the Hebrew Technical Institute, the Hebrew Sheltering Guardian Society, United Hebrew Charities, the, United Palestine Appeal, and the Associated Alumni of City College.[1][2] He was married to Caroline Weil; they had five children: Clara Buttenwieser Unger; Florence Buttenwieser Klingenstein; Clarence Buttenwieser; Benjamin Buttenwieser and Gertrude C. Buttenwieser Prins. Their son Benjamin married Helen Lehman Buttenwieser.[3][4] Benjamin made junior partner at Kuhn, Loeb & Co., a former, well renowned investment banking firm from NYC, and was also personally chosen as Assistant High Commissioner to Germany after WW2 by acting commissioner John J McCloy.