ISAAC K. LEVY. The ability and sterling character of Isaac K. Levy have
given him distinctive prestige as one of the representative members of the
bar of his native city and county, and he is engaged in the active practice
of law at Murphysboro, the judicial center of Jackson county. His popularity
in his home community has been further shown by his having been called upon
to serve in the office of state's attorney of Jackson county, in which
office his administration has added materially to his professional
reputation and proved of marked value to the county.
Isaac K. Levy
was born at Murphysboro, on the 1st day of February, 1878, and is a son of
Abraham and Pauline (Rittenburg) Levy, who have here maintained their home
since 1875, the father having been for many years one of the representative
merchants and highly esteemed citizens of this thriving little city. He
whose name initiates this review is indebted to the public schools of his
native city for his early education, which included the curriculum of the
high school, and in preparing himself for his chosen profession he here
studied law under effective private preceptorship. He continued a student in
the office of one of the leading law firms of Murphysboro until he proved
himself eligible for the bar, to which he was admitted in 1899. He has since
given his attention to the practice of his profession in Murphysboro and his
technical powers and his close application have combined with his personal
popularity in enabling him to build up a substantial and representative
practice, in connection with which he has been concerned in a number of
specially important litigations. In 1908 he was elected state's attorney of
Jackson county, and his incumbency of this office continued until 1912. His
regime was marked by scrupulous and effective service in conserving the
interests of the people of the county, and he showed equal facility in the
handling of criminal and civil cases. He is a close student and never
presents a cause before court or jury without careful preparation. He takes
a lively interest in all that touches the welfare of his home city and
county, and is known as a progressive and public-spirited citizen. He is a
member of the directorate of the Citizens' State and Savings Bank, one of
the staunch financial institutions of Southern Illinois. He is unswerving in
his allegiance to the Republican party, in behalf of whose cause he has
given effectual service, and he is affiliated with the local organizations
of the Masonic fraternity, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the
Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America. He and his wife are
factors in the social activities of their home city.
On the 29th of
June, 1902, Mr. Levy was united in marriage to Miss Lillian Hanks, who was
born and reared in Jackson county and who is a daughter of James Hanks, one
of the representative farmers of the county. Her paternal grandfather was
one of the honored pioneers of this section of the state and served at one
time as sheriff of Jackson county. Mr. and Mrs. Levy have two children,
Constance and Jessie Virginia.
Extracted from 1912 A History of Southern Illinois, volume 2, pages 568-569.