Richard M. Edelman

Richard Matz Edelman was a lawyer and teacher whose keen intellect led him to a career in public service and made him a staunch defender of civil liberties. Born in Brooklyn, he graduated from Poly Prep Country Day School and earned degrees from Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

He began his legal career as an assistant district attorney in New York County, serving under Frank Hogan. He went on to work as a prosecutor in Washoe County, Nevada, and later served as counsel at the United States Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. He also practiced law privately in Washington and New York, and taught social studies at the Fieldston School in the Bronx.

Beyond the law, he was passionate about the arts - particularly poetry - and was a devotee of Shakespeare, Winston Churchill, and Mozart. He died peacefully at his home in Manhattan on May 25, 2016, at the age of 85.