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SIGNED BY AUTHOR TO JOSEPH BUTTENWIESERFROM THE PERSONAL LIBRARY OF BENJAMIN BUTTENWIESER
In 1919, Buttenwieser joined theKuhn, Loeb & Co.banking house, and from 1932 to 1949 was general partner. During World War II, he served in theU.S. Navy(from 1942 to 1945). Buttenwieser, who was fluent in German, wasAssistant United States High Commissionerin Occupied Germany for political and economic reconstruction, 1949–51.[1][5]He was also director of many companies, includingRevlon;Benrus Watch; Tischman Realty and others.[1]From 1952, he was a limited partner until 1977, when Kuhn, Loeb & Co. merged withLehman Brothers.[1]
In 1938, Buttenwieser a two-year term as president of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York (nowUnited Jewish Appeal-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York), like his father (1920s) and brother (1970s).[6]He also served on the executive committee of theAmerican Jewish Committee. He was a trustee ofLenox Hill Hospitaland theNew York Philharmonic. He was a governor of theInvestment Bankers Association.[1][2]
Buttenwieser was born to aJewishfamily inPhiladelphia,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 theFederation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societiesand served as its president from 1924–1926; he was on the board of directors at theHebrew 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 Buttenwieserand Gertrude C. Buttenwieser Prins. Their son Benjamin marriedHelen 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.
