Evening star., 1953-10-19
Felix 5. Cohen Dies;
Attorney Specialized
In Indian Affairs

-
Felix S. Cohen. 46. prominent
Washington attorney who spe-
cialized in Indian affairs and
immigration matters and was
formerly associate solicitor of
the Interior Department, died
today at his home. He lived at
2827 Hurst terrace NV.
An expert on Indian law in
this country, Mr.. Cohen was re-
sponSible for getting major
legislation enacted for the Amer
ican Indians. He helped them
get social security and assisted in
drafting and getting the Indian
Reorganization Act of 1884
passed.
He also worked on the Indian
Claims Commission Act of 1946
which made it possible for any
group of Indians to bring suit
against the Government. Be-
fore that it was necessary to
pass a special jurisdictional act
by Congress in each case before
Indians could sue.
Handled Many Cases.
While in the Interior Depart
ment, Mr.. Cohen handled a num-
ber of cases before the Supreme
Court involving Indian rights.
Two of them weer the United
States VS.. the Sante Fe Pacific
Co.," decided in 1941, which gave
a land title to the Indians and
"Tulee VS.. the United States -
The latter case, decided in 1942,
upheld that Sampson Tulee, an
Indian from Washington State,
did not have to pay a State Ii
cenSe fee to fish near his reSer-
vation.
Mr.. Cohen won the right for
Indians in Southern California
to go to public schools. He also
won State suffrage for Indians
in New Mexico and Arizona in
1948.
He was made a member Of the
Blackfeet tribe and named "Dou-
BILE Runner" because he got
things done fast.
Praised by Chapman.
Former Secretary of Interior
Chapman said 1.-The death of
Felix Cohen removes a dis
tinguiShed and pasSionately de-
voted liberal from the American
scene. The American Indian
population had no more learned
and determined advocate"
MI. Cohen was born in New
York. His father, the late Morris
r. Cohen, was a noted philoSo-
pher who taught at City College
of New York.
Mr.. Cohen was educated at
City College, Harvard and
Columbia. He was law secretary
to a New York Supreme Court
justice for a year and was with
a New York law firm before he
came to Washington in 1888 as
assistant solicitor in the Interior
Department. He was chairman
of the Board of Appeals of the
Interior Department and as
sociate solicitor when he re-
signed in 1948 to go into private
practice. He was a member of
the law firm of Riegelman,
StraSSer, SchWarz & Spiegel-
berg with Offices at 81O Eight
eenth street NV.
Wrote Indian Handbook.
Mr.. Cohen wrote a pamphlet
on immigration in 1910, and was
responsible for getting amend
ments to the immigration law.
He also wrote Handbook of
Federal Indian Law" in 194l for
the Government, a standard
text book on Indian law; Ethical
Systems and Legal Ideals" and
numerous articles for magazines
and law journals. He and his
father co-authored Readings in
Jurisprudence and Legal PhiloS-
ophy."
Mr.. Cohen was active in the
American Jewish Committee, the
Association on American Indian
Affairs, Inc, and was recently
made great chief of the District
by the Continental Confedera-
ton of Adopted Indians. He was
a member of the American
Philosophical Association; a re-
search consultant with the In
Stitute of Living Law and a di-
rector of the Institute of Ethnic
Affairs.
He was visiting professor at
Yale Law School and CCNY.
- Survivors are his widow Mrs.
Lucy Kramer Cohen; two daugh-
terS, the Misses Gene Maura and
Karen Ann Cohen, both of the
home address; a sister, Mrs. Leo
nora Rosenf1eld, 5000 Thirty
eighth street NV. and a BROTH