FREEDHEIM, EUGENE HEITLER (16 Mar. 1900-19 Dec. 1984), attorney, presided over the CLEVELAND BAR ASSN. (CBA) during its controversial defense of 11 accused communists (1955-56), a local case which signalled the beginning of the demise of McCarthyism nationally. Freedheim was born in Leadville, CO, to Carrie H. and Alfred A. Freedheim. His father ran a men's clothing store. Freedheim attended the Denver, CO, public schools and graduated from the University of Colorado (AB 1921) and Harvard University's School of Law (LLB 1924), where he edited the Harvard Law Review. Admitted to the bar in 1924, he first worked as a law clerk in the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. In 1925 Freedheim came to Cleveland and joined the Mooney, Hahn, Loeser, & Keogh law firm; by 1930, he was a partner. A Democrat (see CUYAHOGA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY), he served as precinct committeeman SHAKER HEIGHTS.
On 2 Mar. 1927 Freedheim married Mina Koperlik; the couple had twin sons, Donald K. and David E. and one daughter, Joan Kraus Collins. A member of the Ohio State Bar Association, Freedheim served as trustee of the Jewish Welfare Federation (see JEWISH COMMUNITY FEDERATION), the FAMILY SERVICE ASSN. OF CLEVELAND of Cleveland (1945-49), the Youth Bureau, and as national president of the Family Service Association of America (1957-1959). In 1956, Freedheim won the first Distinguished Service Award of the Community Chest Campaign and in 1970 he was presented with the CHARLES EISENMAN† Award of the JCF.
Last Modified: 17 Jul 1997 03:34:38 PM- Related Article(s)