Oscar M. Ruebhausen facts for kids

Oscar M. Ruebhausen (born August 28, 1912 – died December 7, 2004) was a very important New York City lawyer. He was a trusted adviser to New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller. He also led the New York City Bar Association, a group for lawyers.

Early Life and School

Oscar Ruebhausen was born in Manhattan on August 28, 1912. He grew up in Vermont.

He went to Dartmouth College and graduated with top honors. Later, he studied law at Yale Law School. While there, he helped edit the Yale Law Journal, a special magazine about law.

A Career in Law and Government

In 1937, Ruebhausen started working at a law firm that later became Debevoise & Plimpton. He stayed there until he retired in 1987.

Helping During World War II

Even though he couldn't join the military in World War II for health reasons, Oscar Ruebhausen still helped his country. In 1941, he moved to Washington, D.C.. He worked for the Lend-Lease Administration. This group helped finance important supplies for the Allied countries fighting in Europe.

In 1944, he became the main lawyer for the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD). This office was led by a famous engineer named Vannevar Bush.

A Plan for Science

That same year, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Ruebhausen and Bush for help. They wrote a letter about how scientific research could continue to help the United States after the war. This letter became a guide for creating the National Science Foundation in 1950. This foundation helps fund science research in the U.S.

Advising Governor Rockefeller

After the war, Ruebhausen went back to his law firm. From 1950 to 1951, he also advised a group called the International Development Advisory Board. There, he met Nelson A. Rockefeller. They became close friends and political advisers.

When Rockefeller became Governor of New York, Ruebhausen helped him in many ways. He led a group focused on protection from radioactive fallout. He also advised the governor on atomic energy and insurance companies.

Leading the Bar Association

Oscar Ruebhausen also had a long connection with the New York City Bar Association. This is a professional group for lawyers in New York City. He served as its president from 1980 to 1982.

Because he was very interested in science, he led the Association's Special Committee on Atomic Energy from 1949 to 1959. He also chaired the Committee on Science and the Law from 1959 to 1967.

Personal Life and Passing

Oscar Ruebhausen married Zelia K. Peet in 1942. She passed away in 1990.

Oscar Ruebhausen died on December 7, 2004, at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. He was 92 years old.

Sources

• Morris, Jeffrey B. "Making Sure We are True to Our Founders": The Association of the Bar of the City of New York, 1980-1995. New York, NY: Fordham University Press, 1997. ISBN: 0-8232-1738-8
• "Oscar M. Ruebhausen, 92, Former Rockefeller Adviser, is Dead." The New York Times. December 12, 2004.
• Oscar M. Ruebhausen Biography, Yale Law School