Alexander P. Misheff, a dean of the Trust Administration Bar of Chicago, passed away suddenly Aug. 5 at age 78.
His life was an example of American bootstrap mobility, born to immigrant parents from eastern Europe during the depression, growing up in the small town of Red Wing, Minn., and graduating from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. After serving in the Army, he began his legal career in Chicago in the trust department of Continental Bank, eventually advancing to head the department.
When Continental sold its trust business, he established a private law practice, which he continued until shortly before his death. A significant contributor to his profession, he spent many years on bar association committees, chairing the Chicago Bar Association Trust Committee, writing articles for professional publications and representing the American Bankers Association in drafting a Uniform State Law proposal on Fiduciary Principles of Trusts.
Reflecting his efforts to promote prudence and stem the erosion of traditional trust principles, he continually opposed efforts by state legislatures in recent years to encourage trust departments "to mend their stodgy ways and invest more in the stock market." He also criticized proposals to change the traditional rules of trust accounting.