Photo: Thomas O'Halloran or Warren K. Leffler — Public domainSource
Henry Putzel Jr.
- October 8, 1913
- September 3, 2013
- 99 years
Remembering Henry Putzel Jr.: related finds and keepsakes
About Henry Putzel Jr.
Henry Putzel Jr., 99, American lawyer and Reporter of Decisions of the United States Supreme Court.
Explore other notable deaths in 2013 or deaths in September 2013.
The Deaths Archive presents
How well do you know Henry Putzel Jr.?
Explore their life. Test your knowledge. Beat the challenge.
10 questions · One legacy · How much do you really know?
Challenge your friends
Play together in real-time.
Advertisement
Full Biography
|Henry Putzel Jr. (October 8, 1913 – September 2, 2013) was an American lawyer and the thirteenth Reporter of Decisions of the United States Supreme Court, serving from 1964 to 1979.
Born in Denver, Colorado, he received his B.A. from Yale University in 1935 and his law degree from Yale in 1938. He practiced law in St. Louis, Missouri from 1938 to 1941. During World War II, he worked for the Federal government at the Office of Price Administration (1942–1945) and the United States Department of Justice's Foreign Agents Registration Section (1945–1948). At Justice he also worked on desegregation and civil rights cases in the Civil Rights Division where he was eventually head of the Elections Section prior to being recommended to Chief Justice Earl Warren for the position of reporter of decisions.
Putzel said the ideal reporter must be a lawyer, a "word nut", and a "double revolving peripatetic nit-picker."
Putzel died in Peterborough, New Hampshire on September 2, 2013, at the age of 99.
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Interactive
Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge
How well do you know this person's life and legacy?
No account needed to play. Sign in to keep your score on the leaderboard.
Books & Media
Find books, audiobooks and films about Henry Putzel Jr. on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Putzel_Jr.
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- September 30, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from Henry Putzel Jr.'s archived record and the sources above.
1.Which division of the Department of Justice did Henry Putzel Jr. work for while handling desegregation cases?
- A.Office of Price Administration
- B.Supreme Court Reporter Division
- C.Elections Division
- D.Civil Rights Divisioncorrect
Henry Putzel Jr. worked on desegregation and civil rights cases in the Civil Rights Division.
Source: Department of Justice career
2.What was the date of Henry Putzel Jr.'s death?
- A.January 1, 2013
- B.August 15, 2013
- C.October 8, 2013
- D.September 2, 2013correct
Henry Putzel Jr. died on September 2, 2013.
Source: death section
3.In what city was Henry Putzel Jr. born?
- A.Peterborough, New Hampshire
- B.St. Louis, Missouri
- C.Denver, Coloradocorrect
- D.New Haven, Connecticut
Henry Putzel Jr. was born in Denver, Colorado.
Source: early life section
4.When did Henry Putzel Jr. receive his B.A. from Yale University?
- A.1938
- B.1932
- C.1941
- D.1935correct
Henry Putzel Jr. received his B.A. from Yale University in 1935.
Source: education section
5.What position did Henry Putzel Jr. hold at the United States Supreme Court?
- A.Solicitor General
- B.Chief Justice
- C.Clerk of the Court
- D.Reporter of Decisionscorrect
Henry Putzel Jr. served as the thirteenth Reporter of Decisions of the United States Supreme Court.
Source: career summary
6.During which years did Henry Putzel Jr. serve as the Reporter of Decisions?
- A.1942–1945
- B.1938–1941
- C.1964–1979correct
- D.1979–1990
Henry Putzel Jr. served as the Reporter of Decisions of the United States Supreme Court from 1964 to 1979.
Source: career summary
7.Where did Henry Putzel Jr. practice law between 1938 and 1941?
- A.Washington, D.C.
- B.St. Louis, Missouricorrect
- C.New Haven, Connecticut
- D.Denver, Colorado
Henry Putzel Jr. practiced law in St. Louis, Missouri from 1938 to 1941.
Source: early career section
8.Which government office did Henry Putzel Jr. work for during World War II between 1942 and 1945?
- A.Elections Section
- B.Foreign Agents Registration Section
- C.Office of Price Administrationcorrect
- D.Civil Rights Division
Henry Putzel Jr. worked for the Federal government at the Office of Price Administration during World War II from 1942 to 1945.
Source: government service section
9.At the United States Department of Justice, what section was Henry Putzel Jr. head of before becoming Reporter of Decisions?
- A.Office of Price Administration
- B.Elections Sectioncorrect
- C.Foreign Agents Registration Section
- D.Civil Rights Division
Henry Putzel Jr. was head of the Elections Section in the Civil Rights Division before being recommended for the position of reporter of decisions.
Source: Department of Justice career
10.Who recommended Henry Putzel Jr. for the position of reporter of decisions?
- A.President John F. Kennedy
- B.Justice Thurgood Marshall
- C.Attorney General Robert Kennedy
- D.Chief Justice Earl Warrencorrect
Henry Putzel Jr. was recommended to Chief Justice Earl Warren for the position of reporter of decisions.
Source: appointment details
11.Which of these terms did Henry Putzel Jr. use to describe the ideal reporter of decisions?
- A.A scholarly master of judicial history
- B.A double revolving peripatetic nit-pickercorrect
- C.A swift and decisive legal strategist
- D.A quiet arbiter of constitutional law
Henry Putzel Jr. stated the ideal reporter must be a lawyer, a word nut, and a double revolving peripatetic nit-picker.
Source: professional philosophy
12.In what year did Henry Putzel Jr. receive his law degree?
- A.1941
- B.1938correct
- C.1935
- D.1945
Henry Putzel Jr. received his law degree from Yale in 1938.
Source: education section
13.In what town did Henry Putzel Jr. pass away?
- A.St. Louis, Missouri
- B.New Haven, Connecticut
- C.Denver, Colorado
- D.Peterborough, New Hampshirecorrect
Henry Putzel Jr. died in Peterborough, New Hampshire.
Source: death section
14.At what age did Henry Putzel Jr. die?
- A.100
- B.99correct
- C.89
- D.92
Henry Putzel Jr. died at the age of 99.
Source: death section
15.Which of the following describes Henry Putzel Jr.'s role at the Department of Justice between 1945 and 1948?
- A.Chief Justice Liaison
- B.Office of Price Administration Advisor
- C.Reporter of Supreme Court Decisions
- D.Foreign Agents Registration Sectioncorrect
Henry Putzel Jr. worked for the United States Department of Justice's Foreign Agents Registration Section from 1945 to 1948.
Source: government service section
People who died on September 3
Spotted an error?
Help us keep the archive accurate. Report a correction with a source.
Report an error for Henry Putzel Jr. →Advertisement
