Adolf Joachim Sabath

Early life and emigration

Adolf Joachim Sabath was born on 4 April 1866 in the village of Záboří u Blatné as one of eleven children of Joachim Sabath and Barbara Sabath, née Eissenschimmel. In 1881, fifteen-year-old Adolf left his homeland for America with just enough money for the journey to Chicago, where a close relative lived.

Initially he worked occasional jobs as a messenger and salesman before establishing himself as a real estate agent. Throughout this time he saved his earnings to pay the passage of the rest of his family to the United States and to fund his continued studies. In 1885 he graduated from Bryant and Stratton College. He then attended Chicago College of Law and subsequently Lake Forest University, where in 1891 he earned his Bachelor of Laws degree.

Political career

In 1895, with the help of Illinois Governor Peter Altgeld, Adolf Joachim Sabath was appointed justice of the peace, embarking on his successful political career. He served until 1897, when he was appointed President of the Police Court. In 1907, Adolf Sabath was elected to the United States Congress as a Democratic congressman for Illinois's 5th district.

Adolf Joachim Sabath served in the House of Representatives for an uninterrupted 23 consecutive terms, becoming the second longest-serving congressman in history.

Support for Czechoslovak independence

Sabath played a significant role in the fight for Czechoslovak independence. In May 1917 he secured a Congressional resolution recognising Czechoslovakia's right to freedom and independence. It was he who arranged the triumphant reception for T. G. Masaryk in Washington in May 1918, when twenty-seven members of Congress came to greet the future president. He continued to use his influence on Czechoslovakia's behalf throughout the Second World War.

Legislative legacy

Sabath was known as a fighter against prohibition, for the liberalisation of immigration laws, and against antisemitism. He was among the first American politicians to warn of the Nazi threat.

His most important legislative achievements include: membership of the central executive committee of the Democratic Party (1909–1920); advocacy for the Pure Food and Drug Act and recognition of small nations after the First World War; submission in 1910 of one of the first workers' compensation bills; and his 1909 resolution proposing old-age pensions and urging the enactment of Social Security legislation. He served on the Immigration Commission, where he opposed inhumane immigration measures while supporting strict deportation laws. He also served as chairman of the Commission on Trade in Alcoholic Beverages and Spirits.

Congressman Sabath opposed prohibition and fought for its repeal. In 1931 he introduced the first bill for an independent government agency later known as the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, which provided financial assistance to state and local governments, banks and other organisations, particularly during the economic crisis of the 1930s. He championed US membership in the League of Nations and was among the first to advocate military preparedness against the Nazi threat.

He was a member of the National Masons (Freemasons), Order of Elks, Knights of Pythias, and numerous other social, fraternal and civic organisations in Chicago.

Personal life and legacy

Half a year before the triumphant reception of Masaryk, on 31 December 1917, Adolf Joachim Sabath married Mae Ruth Fuerst. In his native Záboří he funded the construction of an orphanage.

He died on 6 November 1952 at the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland – two days after being re-elected to Congress for the twenty-third time. He is buried at Forest Home Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois.

Source: American Jewish Archives / Translation: Petr Vápeník