Campaign Pin for Adolph J. Sabath

Adolph Joachim Sabath (1866–1952) was born into the only Jewish family in the small town of Zabori, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). He immigrated to the United States at the age of fifteen and settled in Chicago. The money he saved by working various jobs enabled him to continue his education. He earned a law degree and was admitted to the bar in 1892. Sabath was appointed justice of the peace for Chicago by Governor John Peter Altgeld in 1895, and then served as police magistrate from 1897 until 1906. In 1907 he was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he represented Illinois' 5th Congressional District. He served in Congress for twenty-three consecutive terms until his death in 1952.

Congressman Sabath was a reformer who introduced the first old-age pension resolution in 1909. He worked to pass the Pure Food and Drug Act and to secure federal funding for improved highways. He opposed alcohol prohibition and fought for its repeal. Sabath was a staunch New Dealer and one of the earliest to recognize the threat posed by Nazi Germany.

Upon Sabath's death, President Harry S Truman remarked: "Judge Sabath, as he was known to his friends, exemplified in his life the virtues that make America strong. During all of his years of service, Adolph Sabath never forgot his own humble origin. In him the forgotten man always found a champion. He was the sponsor of much progressive legislation and was an unyielding opponent of special interests. He served well both his constituents and his country and he was greatly beloved by all who knew him."