Henry Mentz

Henry Alvan Mentz Jr. (November 10, 1920 – January 23, 2005) was a United States federal judge appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1982 and unanimously approved by the Senate. He served on the Federal Bench (Eastern District of Louisiana) for almost 20 years.

Early life

Mentz was born in New Orleans in 1920 but lived in Hammond, Louisiana, from 1928 until 1982. He was awarded a scholarship to Tulane University at the age of 16 and in 1941 graduated with distinction with a Bachelor of Arts. During college he was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity and played clarinet in the Tulane University Band from 1937 to 1941; he remained a jazz-o-phile for the rest of his life. He then received an LL.B. in 1943 from the Louisiana State University Law School, where he was a member of the law review.

Upon graduation from law school in 1943, Mentz immediately enlisted as a private in the Army. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and in central Germany as an Alpha Bravo weapons specialist, was promoted to Sergeant, and served his country until honorable discharge in late 1945. He was awarded two Battle Stars and the Bronze Star. His battalion and company liberated vital strategic sectors and several concentration camps during World War II. After the war he served in the JAG Corps. Upon return from Europe, he working in private practice in Hammond, Louisiana, and as a staff attorney of the Shell Oil Company from 1947 to 1948, He then served Louisiana as Special Counsel to the Democratic Party-controlled state senate at the request of Governor Earl Long. From 1954 to 1961, Mentz was city attorney for Hammond, Louisiana.

Judicial service and scholarly work

On June 2, 1982, Mentz was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana vacated by Lansing L. Mitchell. Mentz was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 24, 1982, and received his commission the following day. After a decade of active service, he assumed senior status on July 1, 1992, retiring completely from the bench on December 31, 2001.

As a Senior Judge, Mentz served as a Visiting Federal Judge in Boston, New York, San Francisco, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Chicago. Mentz received national recognition for his oversight of the Shell Norco Explosion case. As a jurist, Judge Mentz wrote, published, and edited several hundred legal opinions and articles. As an academician and scholar, he edited and published research on the Bible in his book The Combined Gospels, which was published in 1975.

Service to the community

Mentz devoted substantial efforts over his life to legal, academic, government, charity, and community service. He was active in the South Louisiana community for the last 50 years as a board member of the Salvation Army in New Orleans; served two-terms as President of the Louisiana Civil Service League; served as President of The Multi Parish Bar Association on the Northshore; was active in providing legal assistance to minorities; created and chaired indigent pro-bono organizations in Louisiana; served as a board member of Southeastern Louisiana University; served Loyola University New Orleans in various capacities and designated a large scholarship fund for Loyola Law School; and also served on several boards and committees for Tulane University. Mentz also served on the Executive Committee of the Council for a Better Louisiana and served two terms on the board of directors of WYES, a New Orleans public television station.

Mentz was active in forestation and tree farming for 40 years and was elected to serve his church in several capacities. Mentz was president of the Louisiana Council for Music and the Performing Arts from 1995 to 1996 and recipient of the AMVETS Distinguished Services Award in 1950. During his lifetime, Mentz held various faculty recognition and appointments at law schools and other graduate training academies.

Memberships

Member of the Episcopal Church, Scottish Rite Masons and other Masonic associations for over 50 years; member of the Red Cross of Constantine; member of the Boston Club.

Death

Mentz died in New Orleans, Louisiana.

References

Sources

• Henry Mentz at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.