Albert Henry Loeb

Albert Henry Loeb (February 18, 1868 – October 27, 1924) was a Chicago attorney and an executive of Sears, Roebuck and Co. Loeb was also the father of convicted murderer Richard Albert Loeb of the infamous Leopold and Loeb.

Early Years

Albert Henry Loeb was born to a Jewish family in Rockford, Illinois. Loeb married Anna H. Bohnen on April 26, 1894. The couple settled in the Kenwood neighborhood on Chicago's south side and had four sons: Allan, Ernest, Richard, and Thomas. In addition to their Kenwood home, Loeb built a summer estate for the family called Loeb Farms in 1918, in Charlevoix, Michigan. Part of the property was purchased from the Loebs in 1962, was renamed Castle VanHaver and hosted an art gallery. It was again sold in 1969 and was renamed Castle Farms.[1]

Career

Loeb did not attend law school. Rather, he was admitted to the bar by examination in 1889, a common practice at the time.[2] In 1893, Loeb and Sydney Adler founded their law partnership in Chicago, Illinois.[3] specialized in corporate and real estate law. The firm is now known as Arnstein & Lehr, LLP.

In 1895, Sears Roebuck and Co. became a client of Loeb & Adler when Aaron Nusbaum and Richard Warren Sears retained the firm to draft reorganization documents, which gave ½ of the stock to Richard Sears and ½ to Rosenwald and Nusbaum and, on September 7, 1895, incorporated the company in Illinois as Sears, Roebuck and Co. of Illinois. Loeb was given four shares of stock, two from each of the sides, which would enable him to break a tie vote should the occasion arise. Loeb, remaining with the Firm of Loeb & Adler, became general counsel of the new company. [4] In 1901 Loeb left the practice of law and became the corporate secretary of Sears, Roebuck and Co. In 1908 Loeb was appointed vice president and treasurer of Sears.[2] Loeb and Julius Rosenwald, the Chairman of Sears, maintained a close relationship throughout their professional lives. It has been said that Rosenwald never made an important decision without asking Loeb's advice.[5]

Leopold and Loeb murder trial

In 1924, Loeb's third son Richard, and Richard's friend Nathan Leopold, kidnapped and killed Bobby Franks, a 14-year-old neighborhood boy. Upon his son's arrest, the elder Loeb contacted attorney Charles Lederer, who was a member of Loeb's former law firm and active in Chicago politics. Lederer, who maintained a personal friendship with the Cook County District Attorney, requested on Loeb's behalf that the D.A. release Richard Loeb, but the request was refused. The Loeb family considered retaining Lederer and Lederer's law partner (and former U.S. Senator) J. Hamilton Lewis to defend Leopold and Loeb since both were well-known Chicago trial lawyers. However, the firm declined due to the relationship with the elder Loeb and client Sears, Roebuck and Co. Instead, the Loeb family retained Clarence Darrow. [6]

Albert Henry Loeb died of a heart attack on October 28, 1924, less than two months after his son Richard was sentenced to life plus ninety-nine years on September 10.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "History of Castle Farms". Castle Farms. Archived from the original on September 28, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Currey, Josiah Seymour (1912-01-01). Chicago: Its History and Its Builders, a Century of Marvelous Growth. S. J. Clarke publishing Company. pp. 623–4.
  3. ↑ Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, August 31, 1995; ISBA Bar News, October 18, 1995; Chicago Lawyer, October, 1995; Chicago Sun Times, September 25, 1995,
  4. ↑ “Arnstein & Lehr, The First 120 Years”, (Louis A. Lehr, Jr.)(Amazon), p. 2
  5. 1 2 "Albert H. Loeb Dies". flps.newberry.org. Retrieved 2016-04-14.
  6. ↑ “Arnstein & Lehr, The First 120 Years”, (Louis A. Lehr, Jr.)(Amazon), p. 20
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