Maxwell E. Seidman

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Maxwell Edward Seidman (April 18, 1898 – November 17, 1950) was an American lawyer and politician affiliated with the Democratic Party.

Early life and education[edit]

Seidman was born in Philadelphia in 1898, the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants Isaac and Jennie Seidman.[1] By the time of Seidman's birth, his father was working as a real estate agent.[1] He attended South Philadelphia High School and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.[2] After Wharton, Seidman stayed at Penn for law school, graduating in the 1920s and starting his own practice.[2]

Career[edit]

Initially a Republican, Seidman joined the Democratic Party in 1933 as a part of John B. Kelly, Sr.'s "independent Democratic" faction.[2] When Democrat George Howard Earle III was elected governor in 1934, he appointed Seidman as a special deputy attorney general, working with the state banking department and the state board of motion picture censors.[3]

Seidman became the Democratic leader of the 1st ward and, in 1949, was nominated for Philadelphia City Council in a special election to fill a vacancy created by the death of Republican councilman Frank X. O'Connor.[3] Seidman won, narrowly defeating his Republican opponent, Roman Catholic High School football coach Joseph A. Graham, Jr.[4] He joined Harry Norwitch as one of only two Democrats in the 22-member council.[4]

Personal life[edit]

Seidman's tenure on City Council was brief. While visiting New York City on November 17, 1950, he suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 53.[2] He was buried in Mount Sharon Cemetery in Springfield, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b 1910 Census.
  2. ^ a b c d e Inquirer 1950.
  3. ^ a b Inquirer 1949a.
  4. ^ a b Inquirer 1949b.

Sources[edit]

  • "1910 United States Federal Census, T624_1385, page 16A". Ancestry.com. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  • "Democrats Name 2 For Council". The Philadelphia Inquirer. October 5, 1949. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  • "Democrats Take 2 Council Seats". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 9, 1949. pp. 1, 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  • "M.E. Seidman, Councilman, Dies". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 19, 1950. pp. 1, 15 – via Newspapers.com.
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