Horace Stern

Horace Stern (1878-1969) was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania from 1 November 1952 to 29 December 1956. He was elevated to the Chief Justice position after serving on the Court from 6 January 1936. [ [http://www.dgs.state.pa.us/dgs/lib/dgs/pa_manual/section5/pa_supreme_court_justices_since_1681.pdf List of Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justices, from Pennsylvania Department of General Services] ]

Stern was born to a Jewish family in North Philadelphia, one of eight children. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1899, and from the University of Pennsylvania Law School "summa cum laude" in 1902. [http://www.philadelphiabar.org/page/TPLWinter02ThisIsOurBar?appNum=2&wosid=mcwOjSWNM... "This is Our Bar": History of the Philadelphia Bar] ] Prior to his elevation to the bench, Stern was a professor at University of Pennsylvania Law School, where his portrait still hangs today. [ [http://www.law.upenn.edu/about/history/photogallery/Insidegallery/stern.html Stern's portrait at UPenn Law School] ] He went on to co-found of the law firm of Wolf, Block, Schorr & Solis-Cohen (now called WolfBlock) in 1903, before taking an appointment to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in 1920.

Stern was the first Jew to serve on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the first Jewish trustee of the University of Pennsylvania. [ [http://www.philadelphiabar.org/page/AboutLegends?appNum=2&wosid=8WWzp5fUPVjHK2Rptmntbg Legends of the Bar, from the Philadelphia Bar Association] ] He was also very active within Philadelphia's Jewish community, having served as president of the Federation of Jewish Charities and having been a founder of the American Jewish Committee.

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