Daniel Peixetto Hays, one of the best know members of the New York City bar, who at one time or another had been connected with nearly every Jewish charity in the metropolis, died at his home, 260 West 86th Street, on Saturday, after a short illness, at the age of 69. Mr. Hays was senior member of the law firm of Hays, Hershfield and Wolf, 115 Broadway. He was a member of an old Jewish New York family who have lived in New York City and Westchester County for nearly 200 years. He was a great-grandson of Mendes Seixas, one of the founders of Columbia College. His great grandfather sold cattle to Washington’s army.
He was a grandson of Dr. Madur Peizetto, at one time President of the New York County Medical Society. His paternal grandfather was Benjamin E. Hays, who gave to the town of Mount Pleasant the land for the site of its first High School.
Mr. Hays was Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Isaac N. Wise Centenary, New York Campaign. The campaign was launched throughout the country in 1919 to raise $300,000 for the furtherance of the work of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati.
Daniel Peixotto Hays was born at Pleasantville, March 28, 1854, the son of David and Judisth S. (Peixotto) Hays, He was graduated from the College of the City of New York in 1873 and was awarded an L.L.B. degree by the Columbia Law School in 1875. He was married on April 7, 1880, to Rachel Hershfield, daughter of the late Aaron Hershfield, descendant of another old American Jewish family that traced it sorigin back to Revolutionary times.
He was Treasurer of the Harlem Federation for Jewish Communal Work, Trustee of the Jewish Publication Society, Governor of The Judaeans, President of the Young Men’s Hebrew Association, Jewish The clogical Seminary. At various times he had served as a member of the boards of the Hebrew Orphan Asylum, Mount Sinai Hospital, Home for Aged and Inform Hebrews, Bani Brith, the Educational Alliance and the Guild for Crippled Children with a school in Montgomery Street.
He was President of the Harlem Democratic Club, a delegate to a number of Democratic State Conventions, President of the Municipal Civil Service Commission of New York City, a member of the Lawyers’ Club. Mr.Hayes is survived by his widow, five daughters and a son.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
