For Henry Cohen

Woodrow Wilson called him the First Citizen of Texas." New York's Rabbi Stephen Samuel Wise said he was "the greatest rabbi we've got." Jacob Schiff gave him $500,000 to set up a Jewish Immigrants' Information Bureau in Galveston, Tex., to attract more Jews to the Southwest. Author O. Henry, onetime convict, kindled his interest in parole work, in which he became a U. S. leader. With a shotgun over his shoulder and a bottle of whiskey in his pocket, he led citizens in keeping order after the Galveston hurricane of 1900. At a public dinner, when addressed in Hebrew by the late Cardinal Satolli, apostolic delegate, he replied in purest ecclesiastical Latin. The U. S. Post Office department became used to routing to Galveston all letters addressed to "Rabbi Henry Cohen, U. S. A."

Born an orthodox Jew in England, converted to reform Judaism in the U. S., Rabbi Henry Cohen passed his 75th birthday last month. Next month he will become the first U. S. rabbi to have served one Jewish congregation -- Galveston's Temple B'nai Israel--for 50 years. Last week in Galveston four judges, Christian churchmen including a Catholic bishop, and 2,500 other people gathered to do honor to the South's greatest rabbi. Said Judge Joseph C. Hutcheson: "Henry Cohen is not merely our friend. In his humanness, he is a symbol of that democracy to which we aspire. If ever sabre rattling passes from the earth, it will be because of the Henry Cohens."

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