Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-06-10
PORTRAIT OF A JUSTICE
By ARTHUR EDISON
Associated Press Staff Writer

MaJeStlcally eight black-goWned
justices approach the impressive
mahogany bench of the Supreme
Court.
Carefully eight young pages see
that each is properly seated.
Dutifully the ninth page pushes
forward a smaller leather chair,
empty and lonely looking.
Yet even without this dramatic
reminder everyone would know
that Felix Frankfurter is missing.
For Justice Frankfurter-at 70
the oldest of the justices-is so
gay, so relentless in his eternal
questioning, so scholarly, so wasp
ish and occasionally so rude
there's no other word for it, that
his personality dominates the
court when it's on public display.
AS one lawyer described it:
What a dull day when Frank
furter isn't around! He stirs some
of the other justices up"
Justice Frankfurter hasn't been
around since April when he
had what was called a temporary
stoppage in blood flow to the
brain; in blunter words, a stroke.
Condition Is Improving
Friends say his condition has
improved, that his voice is becom-
ing stronger, that he is able to
tend to his correspondence and
that there's every expectation he
will be back when the court be-
gins its fall term, october /.
True. lie hasn't been kind to
Justice Frankfurter lately. His
wife, Marion, has been severely
crippled by arthritis. He had a
heart attack in 1858. And now
this.
But Justice Frankfurters hero,
Oliver Wendell Holmes, served on
the court until he was 81. There's
every reason to suspect Mr.. Frank
furter would like to match that
record.
But this convalescent period Of
fers chance to look at remark
able public figure, one who had
never heard a word of English
when he arrived in this country
at the age of IL, but one who in
an incredibly busy life has become
one of the most influential and
significant men of our times.
Whether this influence has been
for good or bad depends not only
on whom one talks to, but also
on when one has the converse
ton.
Some conservatives who once
feared he was a Red-eyed radical
now think he's an indispensable
pillar Of society. Some liberals who
once embraced him as their dar-
ling now look troubled when his
name is mentioned.
Anyone who is any good" Jus
tice Frankfurter has said, "is diff
ferent from anybody else"
He's Entirely Different
The justice is so different from
anybody else that he has to be
considered on at least two planes.
First there's Frankfurter the
man. and here there is little con-
flict.
A lawyer with vast distastes for
his court opinions says:
"Oh, he's a lot Of fun at a
cocktail party-the quintessence Of
bubling energy"
Joseph A. Fanelh, a Washing
ton lawyer, was one of Prof.
Frankfurter's brilliant young men
at Harvard.
"As I have said to my wife, his
greatest genius is for friendship"
Mr.. Fanelli said. you know,
when 1 heard he was i'll, had
the feeling almost as if he were
my father. And the funny thing
is, I'm sure at least a thousand
persons had the same feeling.
I'D cut off an arm for the
justice"
Some people are name troopers,
but Justice Frankfurter is a he's
very dear in m ate
friend-of- mine dropper. One gets
the impression that he knows ev-
erybody who was ever anybody in
almost the whole world.
I'VE became friends, close
friends"
Here he was speaking of Frank