Dr. Joseph C. Hyman Resigns After Quarter of a Century of Active Service with J.D.C.

The retirement of Dr. Joseph C. Hyman, executive vice-chairman of the Joint Distribution Committee, was announced here last night at a testimonial linner to mark his completion of 25 years of active service with the J.D.C.

Praising Dr. Hyman for his “distinguished” service with the J.D.C., former Gov. Lehman recalled that he had named Dr. Hyman to his first J.D.C. post early in 1922. “As chairman of the J.D.C. Reconstruction Committee at that time,” Mr. Lehman remarked, “I appointed Dr. Hyman, then a young attorney, to be my assistant. Since that time, the J.D.C. has grown until today it is undertaking the greatest program of relief and rehabilitation assistance in the history of any voluntary agency. Leading the way in the growth of the J.D.C.’s services in behalf of the distressed has been Dr. Joseph C. Hyman. His extraordinary devotion to the J.D.C.–and, more important, to Jewish survivors throughout the world–is worthy of our warmest personal salute.”

Edward M. M, Warburg declared that “Dr. Hyman has come to personify, as much as any one person, the spirit of the J.D.C. Tonight he can look back with real satisfaction and justifiable pride on the record that he personally, and the organization whose active head he has been, have achieved.” William Rosenwald, chairman of the United Service for New Americans, praised Dr. Hyman for his activities in helping in the integration of immigrants into the American scene.

Dr. Hyman’s work when he came to the J.D.C. as assistant to Mr. Lehman dealt with the establishment of large-scale reconstruction projects for destitute Jewish populations in the war-devastated areas of Europe. Two years later he was elevated to the post of acting secretary of the J.D.C. and a year later he became secretary. He was also an active adviser to the League of Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, James G. MoDonald, and was assistant to the late Felix M. Warburg as chairman of the administrative committee of the Jewish Agency for Palestine.

In 1937 Dr. Hyman was made executive director of the J.D.C., and, in 1939, was elected executive vice-chairman. He is also vice-president of the American Council of Voluntary Agencies for Foreign Service, Inc., of which Prof. Joseph P. chamberlain is president.