Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-04-07
CAMDEN BARS TRIBUTE
TO j. FITHIAN TATEM
Minnie on His Life and Services
AdOpted at Opening Of Court.
Fought with Navy at Santiago Bay.

(From Camden Post-Telegram.)
zine tribute to the memory of ].
Eitbian Tatem was paid on Tuesday,
Anril 4. 1922, at the opening of the
camden County April courts, in the
odoption of a minute on his life and
services. The minute was prepared by
committee of which Herbert A.
make was chairman. 1t declared
among other things that Mr.. Tatem
had received a medal from Congress
for his participation in the Battle of
santiago. The minute reads as fol-
lows:
"Joseph Fithian Tatem was born at
Haddonfeld, August 20, 1869, and he
died there October 10, 1921. Haddon-
field was his residence during the
neriod and he had a summer residence
at Ocean City until about 1904 when he
acquired a summer residence at North
wildwood.
Gle was the son of Joseph B.. Tatem
and Mary E. Tatem. His father was
at one time Judge of this and other
Camden County Courts.
"Fithian Tatem, with preparatory
education at Haddonfield public schools
and Rittenhouse Academy, entered the
University of Pennsylvania as a fresh
man in September, 1885, and graduated
thence in June, 1889, with the degree
of D. s., devoting his last two years
there to finance and economics in the
Wharton School. He commenced the
study Of law in New Jersey, May, 1888,
and was admitted to practice at the
November term, 1898.
During his clerkship he taught his
tory at the R~ittenhouse Academy in
1890, and 1891 entered Harvard Law
School. In June, 1894, he completed
his course there and was awarded the
degree of L. L. B. He was called to
the bar as counsellor in New Jersey,
February term, 1897.
"In 1894 he was admitted to practice
as attorney and counsellor at the bar
of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.
In March, 1900, he was called to the
bar OF the Supreme Court of Pennsyl-
vania, and in October, 1906, to the bar
of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.
He continued active practice in the
Courts of New Jersey and Pennsyl-
yania until he departed this life.
can important part of his practice
was as solicitor for a number of South
Jersey banks and municipalities. Dur
ing the latter years of his life a large
part of his practice was the result OF
a considerable clientage of public util-
tiles companies, and he was associated
with development of some recently &C
cepted principles of thezlaw of public
utilities.
HE was a competent and successful
practitioner learned in the law, of ex-
1 ceDtional legal and forensic ability,
: str ength ana sagacity, and of unusual
h capacity in the dispatch of business.
b "Mr. Tatem's civic value and useful
ness as a citizen were not confined to
his professional career.
"In May, 1898, he was a seaman OF
the Naval Reserves of New Jersey and
shortly thereafter in January, 1896,
became an ensign and so continued
until his resignation in December,
1900, when he was ensign of the Sec
ond Battalion.
MAY 20, 1898, he was appointed en-
\ sign in the United States Navy and
4 continued in that service on the U. 5.
S. Resolute in the Spanish-American
War until his honorable discharge,
October 81, 1898.
February 10, 1902, he was awarded
prize money for his participation in
the capture of the Adula, by the U. S.
S. Resolute. February 10, 1902, the
4 National Government, by the judg-
ment of it's Court of Claims, credited
him with a bounty for his partic1pa-
4 ton on the U. S. S. Resolute, in the
destruction of the enemy'S vessels in
the battle of Santiago de Cuba, July 3,
1898.
May 10, 1903, the National Govern
ment awarded him a bronze medal for
participation in engagements with
Spanish naval forces on board he
U. S. S. Resolute at Santiago de Cuba
July 8, 1898, and at Manzanillo, Cuba,
August II, 1898.
September 1& 1896, before the
Spanish-American War, he inter-mar-
ried with the present Mrs. Tatem, then
Miss Minnie Antoinette Moore. He
was survived by a very worthy family.
HE associated important business
interests and activities with his pro-
fessional duties. In banking he was
instrumental in organizing and start
ing on a successful career four instl-
~tutions, viz: The Collingswood Ma
tional Bank, the First National Bank
of Ocean City, the Ocean City Title and
Trust Company and the Marine Ma
tional Bank of Wildwood. He con-
tinued with each of these, excepting
the Collingswood bank, both as solicit
tor and director unto the end.
In public utilities he was treasurer
M md rAa4.1 - a-1 9TH - Nj CO