Densho Digital Archive
Frank Abe Collection
Title: Fred Okrand Interview
Narrator: Fred Okrand
Interviewers: Frank Abe (primary); Frank Chin (secondary)
Location: Los Angeles, California
Date: August 22, 1995
Densho ID: denshovh-ofred-01-0002

<Begin Segment 2>

FC: Tell me a little about Al Wirin, Abraham Lincoln Wirin.

FO: Well...

FC: Big man, short man?

FO: Well, Al Wirin was big in every way, I mean, compared to me. He was over six feet and compared to me he was a giant, a giant of constitutional law and a man of great compassion. Really great compassion. He was a good PR man, he knew how to, how to tell the public what the case was all about, how to get their sympathy, and a magnificent constitutional lawyer. I met him, as I say, it was 1941 when I met him, shortly after getting out of law school, and we struck up a very cordial, wonderful relationship until he died. We jointly -- I guess you could say later on -- represented the ACLU here in Southern California. He spent probably three-quarters of his time, first at, with no compensation, then with a little bit, and I spent about half of my time. Great lawyer, great lawyer.

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 1995, 2005 Frank Abe and Densho. All Rights Reserved.