Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-06-19

NObENI Ne DENhAMs
st. Louis Thursday. He died ap-
parently of a heart attack four
hours after he was taken to the
hospital.
When Mr.. Denham quit the
NLRB post at President Tru-
mans request, it climaxed a rum
ming fight between the general
counsel's Office and the five-man
NLRB board over jurisdiction
and administration of the Taft
Hartley law. A Republican, he
had been appointed to the post
by Mr.. Truman.
Started in 1888.
Mr.. Denham was an NLRB
trial examiner from 1888 until
he was appointed general coun-
sci.
He came to the NLRB after
careers as a machiniSt, cowhand,
lumberjack boss, lawyer, bank
receiver and investment man.
He was awarded a law degree
at the University of Missouri and
master of laws at the Univer-
sity of Michigan. Early in life his
health broke down and he re-
gained it as a cowpuncher in
Texas for two years.,
During World War I Mr.. Den
ham was in the Army, spending
most of the time in the North
west woods where he had charge
of getting out materials for air.
craft. After the war he liqui-
dated and closed out operations
of the Air Service Forces.
His Wall Street career began
in 1920. For more than 10 yeats
he was a troubleshooter for the
Irving Trust Co. of New York
After collapse of the Florida
real estate boom in the late
1920sy Mr.. Denham reorganized
the Coral Gables development al
Miami.
He had his own Office on Wall
Street for a while. In 1893 he
became special counsel to the
Controller of the Currency.
Opened Washington Office.
In 1894 Mr.. Denham opened a
law Office in Washington and
later was Washington represent
alive of a Baltimore investment
firm before the recession" OF
1878.
In 1898 he became a trial ex-
aminer for NLRB. He served as
president of the Federal Trial
Examiners Conference, an Or
ganization of trial examiners in
various United States agencies.
He helped write the Taft
Hartley law when, at the sugges-
ton of a Missouri Senator, he
prepared a list of suggested
changes in the Wagner Act.
Breach Developed.
A widening breach developed
between Mr.. Denham and the
f1ve-man board over the extent
Of his authority-Some of which
was delegated to his Office by the
board itself-and in the inter-
probation of the Taft Hartley
Act.
Mr.. Denham refused to be 81
lent. He made speeches before
large management groups, urg-
ing appeals from adverse board
decisions and accusing the board
of pro-labor bias in interpreting
the law.
The board retaliated by issu-
ing new regulations defining his
powers and reminding Mr.. Den
ham he must defend the boards
decisions in court.
Both the AFL and CIO called
for Mr.. Denham's removal by
President Truman. The White
House moved early in 1850 to
abolish the extra powers the
Taft-Hartley Act had placed in
his Office.
Urged Reorganization.
Three years after he left al
NLRB general counsel, Mr.. Den.
ham recommended that Con.
greSs abolish the agency anC
then revive it by letting PreSi.
dent Eisenhower name new PEG.
pie to all NLRB jobs.
Since he left the labor board
Mr.. Denham had been in Law
practice with Miss Helen Hum.
phrey, with Offices at 1925 Con.
necticut avenue NV, special.
izing in labor relations.
He was a member of the Ma.
tional Press Club, Early Birds
Breakfast Club, Kenwood Coun.
try Club, Army Navy Club anC
the District and American Bal
Associations.
Survivors are his widow
Christine: two daughters by /;
former marriage. Mrs. Marjori'
Moerschell, Quincy. H., and Mrs
Bobbie Mae johnson. Arlington
Va: another daughter, Mis-
Helen Denham, and a son, Rob
ert III, both of the home.