Benjamin J. Altheimer: Trailblazing Lawyer & Philanthropist
- Ninfa O. Barnard
- Aug 27
- 3 min read
Pine Bluff native Benjamin J. Altheimer Sr. was a prominent lawyer and philanthropist who founded prominent law firms in Chicago. He also created the Ben J. Altheimer Foundation which utilized funding from agricultural innovation to create programs that benefit citizens and students in Jefferson County, Arkansas.
Benjamin Joseph Altheimer was born September 30, 1877, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to Joseph and Mathilda Josephat Altheimer. Altheimer’s parents were German-Jewish immigrants who attended the Anshe Emeth synagogue in Pine Bluff. Altheimer’s father owned and operated a mercantile store after his brother Louis brought him to Pine Bluff. Later, the two brothers founded the town of Altheimer, approximately 15 miles northeast of Pine Bluff.
Altheimer attended Pine Bluff’s Jordan Academy. He studied law with attorneys Frank G. Bridges Sr. and W. T. Wooldridge. He later formed the White and Altheimer law firm with attorney Major N. T. White.
During a visit to Chicago, Altheimer met Belle Mandel, whose father, Simon Mandel, owned the prosperous Mandel Brothers’ department store alongside his three brothers. Altheimer and Mandel married on December 14, 1903. In 1904, their only child, Benjamin Altheimer Jr., was born.
In 1909, Altheimer and his family moved to Chicago. In 1915, he established one of Chicago’s most renowned law firms, Altheimer, Mayer, Woods, and Smith. In 1939, he retired as managing partner of the firm. Altheimer, Mayer, Woods, and Smith was later renamed Altheimer and Gray and dissolved in 2003.
While living in Chicago, Altheimer maintained friendships with prominent Arkansans, like U.S. senator Joseph T. Robinson. He often visited the home he maintained in Pine Bluff. During his visits, he also began accumulating land, repurchasing much of the Altheimer land his father had lost in the economic downturn of 1893. In the early 1930s, he renovated an old plantation house near the Collier Estate, renaming it “The Elms.” “The Elms” became his home in Arkansas.
Altogether, Altheimer bought more than 15,000 acres of land in Arkansas, with the majority in Jefferson County. He also bought 25,000 acres of land in Louisiana. Since Altheimer was extremely interested in agriculture, he brought the latest agricultural technology to his farms to be utilized by his sharecroppers and those who worked alongside him.
In 1942, he utilized funds from his farming operations to create the Ben J. Altheimer Foundation. The city of Altheimer utilized those funds to build a technical building, a machine and clerical trade school, and a Boy and Girls Scouts building. The Altheimer foundation also donated money to University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s (UALR) William H. Bowen School of Law and its supporting programs, including the 1978 Ben J. Altheimer Symposium, the Ben J. Altheimer Distinguished Professorship, assistance in renovating two courtrooms in the Old Federal Building in Little Rock for use by the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law, and much more.
Altheimer died of a heart attack on May 28, 1946. He was buried in the Temple Anshe Emeth Jewish Cemetery (Bellwood Complex) in Pine Bluff. After his death, the Ben J. Altheimer Foundation continued to assist the residents of Altheimer, annually providing two scholarships to outstanding high school students. The Altheimer Foundation also provided substantial funding to Altheimer churches and public schools.
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Written by: Ninfa O. Barnard