Elmer Gertz
(1906-2000)
Elmer Gertz
was born on September 14, 1906, in
nois, the son of a merchant. He entered the
following graduation from
ceived his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School
in 1930. He entered private practice with a
eral months later.
As a lawyer, Mr. Gertz was known
nationally for his devotion to
civil liberties and individual rights causes, having handled, among
others, cases involving Nathan Leopold, Jack Ruby, and Henry
Miller's novel Tropic of Cancer. He was active in civic affairs in
to the Sixth Illinois Constitutional Convention, chairing its Bill of
Rights Committee. He was the founder and president of the Civil
War Round Table of Chicago and of the Shaw Society of Chicago,
and was instrumental in the creation of the Auditorium Theatre
Council. An avid reader, and widely traveled, he was also the au-
thor of more than fifteen books as well as countless
articles for
newspapers and periodicals and had written several plays for
radio. He was awarded the State of
in 1972 and was the recipient of numerous other awards, honors
and citations for his professional achievements and public service.
Mr. Gertz was a member of the Chicago Literary Club from
1961 until his death on April 27, 2000. He served as chairman of
the Committee on Arrangements and Exercises in 1968-69, chair-
man of the Committee on Officers and Members in 1976-77, and
president of the Club in 1977-78. He presented twenty papers, the
first in 1961, the year in which he became a member, and the last,
entitled The Best Is Yet To Be, in October 1997.
Read before the Club: October 5, 1998