Arthur Mag was a Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...

 lawyer and philanthropist. He was a named partner in the law firm of Stinson Mag and Fizzell.

Early Years

Arthur Mag was born in New Britain, Connecticut

New Britain, Connecticut

New Britain is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located approximately 9 miles southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 71,254....

. He served in the U.S. Navy for two years during World War I. He later attended Yale University

Yale University

Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...

 where he received an A.B. degree in 1918. He then attended Yale Law School

Yale Law School

Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...

 where he was a member of the law review. He received his LL.B. in 1920.

Career

After graduating from law school, Mag moved to Kansas City to join the law firm of Rozzelle, Vineyard, Thacher and Boys. Within three years, Thacher had retired, Rozzelle and Vineyard both died and Boys suffered a nervous breakdown which left him unable to manage the firm. In 1923, at just 26 years old, Mag took over the firm and managed to retain all of its clients despite the loss of all of the firm's senior attorneys. In order to handle the substantial workload, Mag recruited Paul Stinson, a rising young trial lawyer, to join the firm as a partner. Bob Ryland joined the firm in 1924. He was followed in 1927 by Roy Thomson. At that time, the firm became known as Ryland, Stinson, Mag and Thomson. Soon thereafter, Arthur Mag was designated the firms's first managing partner. Mag was the principal architect of the firm and guided it until his death in 1981, at which time the firm was named Stinson Mag and Fizzell. In 2002, Stinson Mag and Fizzell merged with Morrison Hecker to form Stinson Morrison Hecker.

Arthur Mag was a preeminent corporate attorney whose clients spanned the United States. Many of Mag's corporate clients also turned to him for legal advice in their personal matters. As a result, he became well known for his work in the area of trusts and estates

Trusts and estates

The law of trusts and estates is generally considered the body of law which governs the management of personal affairs and the disposition of property of an individual in anticipation of the event of such person's incapacity or death, also known as the law of successions in civil law...

 as well. Mag pioneered the theory that trustees should be given broad, general powers to direct the efforts and funds entrusted to them. Along with Stinson, he successfully defended this approach in Irwin et al. v. Swinney et al.. which was decided in 1931.

Notable Client

Arthur Mag was President Harry Truman's legal counsel from 1945-1967. He prepared a variety of legal documents for Truman, including his will. A collection of Arthur Mag's papers and correspondence with Truman are housed at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum

Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum

The Harry S Truman Library and Museum is dedicated to preserving papers, books, and other historical materials relating to the 33rd President of the United States Harry S Truman. It is located on a small hill facing U.S...

 in Independence, Missouri

Independence, Missouri

Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...

.

Civic Leadership

Through his work involving trusts and estates and his dedication to the community, Arthur Mag became an important civic leader in Kansas City. He shared the title of Kansas Citian of the year in 1964. He was instrumental in the creation of the Kansas City Association of Trusts and Foundations. He was a founding trustee of the University of Kansas City, Menorah Medical Center

Menorah Medical Center

Menorah Medical Center is an acute care hospital located in Overland Park, Kansas at 5721 West 119th Street. It is part of the HCA Midwest Division.Multiple shots of the main entrance where used in multiple episodes of Disney Channel's Good Luck Charlie....

, Midwest Research Institute

Midwest Research Institute

MRIGlobal is an independent, not-for-profit, contract research organization based in Kansas City, Missouri....

, the Starlight Theater Association, the Greater Kansas City Mental Health Foundation, and many other hospitals, charities and schools of higher education. At the time of his death in 1981, he was a director at no fewer than 14 companies.