NATHAN, HARRY LOUIS, BARON

NATHAN, HARRY LOUIS, BARON (1889–1963), English lawyer and politician. Born in London, the son of a fine arts publisher, Nathan was educated at St. Paul's school before becoming a solicitor. He fought in Gallipoli, Egypt, and France during World War i. In the 1920s he became legal advisor to the British Zionist Organization and to many Jewish bodies in Palestine. From 1929 to 1934 he was a Liberal member of Parliament and then switched and was a Labour member of Parliament from 1934 to 1935 and from 1937 to 1940. Following the outbreak of World War ii Nathan became chairman of the National Defense Public Interest Committee. He was elevated to the House of Lords in 1940 as Baron Nathan and from 1946 to 1948 was minister of civil aviation in the postwar Labour government. Later he was departmental chairman of the governmental committee on the law of customs and excise and chairman of the governmental committee to investigate the law and practice of charitable trusts, which led to a new act. Lord Nathan was an active figure in Jewish communal affairs as a member of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and president of the European Committee of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth *Maccabiah. He was also prominent in national civic affairs as chairman of the Royal Geographical Society and of the Royal Society of Arts. Lord Nathan wrote Medical Negligence (1957) and The Charities Act, 1960 (1962). His wife, eleanor (Stettauer; 1892–1972), was the second female chairperson of the London County Council in 1947–48.

bibliography:

H.M. Hyde, Strong for Service: The Life of Lord Nathan of Churt (1968). add. bibliography: odnb online.