LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Richard W. Sonnenfeldt, the
chief interpreter for the American prosecution at the Nuremberg War
Trials

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Richard W. Sonnenfeldt of Port Washington, New York, died on
Friday, October 9, 2009, at the age of 86; and
WHEREAS, Born in Berlin, Richard W. Sonnenfeldt was raised in Gardele-
gen, Germany; as chief interpreter, for the American prosecution at the
Nuremberg War Trials in 1945, he personally interrogated and delivered
the indictments to some of the most notorious top-ranking Nazi crimi-
nals, including Hitler's second-in-command, Hermann Goering; and
WHEREAS, After being selected as interpreter, United States Army
Private Richard W. Sonnenfeldt helped liberate the Dachau concentration
camp; and
WHEREAS, A past senior vice president at RCA and executive vice presi-
dent at NBC, Richard W. Sonnenfeldt was one of the principal developers
of color TV at RCA and computer technology for NASA, as well as the
inventor of the video disc, a precursor to the DVD; and
WHEREAS, Later in his career, he became the Dean of the Graduate
School of Management, Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, and served on
numerous boards including Lee Enterprises; and
WHEREAS, A distinguished alumnus of Johns Hopkins University, Richard
W. Sonnenfeldt was a life fellow of the IEEE; he was a member of the
Council of Foreign Relations and the American Council on Germany, as
well as a frequent lecturer at the Harvard Business School and MIT's
Sloan School of Management; and
WHEREAS, He was also an avid sailor, crossing the Atlantic three times
in his 45-foot sailboat in his 70s; in 2002, he wrote his autobiography,
WITNESS TO NUREMBERG, which was published in both Germany and the United
States; and
WHEREAS, Richard W. Sonnenfeldt often lectured about his war time
experiences, time spent in a detention center and surviving a torpedo
attack on a troop transport ship; and
WHEREAS, Richard W. Sonnenfeldt distinguished himself in his profes-
sion and by his sincere dedication and substantial contribution to the
welfare of his community; and
WHEREAS, Richard W. Sonnenfeldt's commitment to excellence, and his
spirit of humanity, carried over into all fields of enterprise, includ-
ing charitable and civic endeavors; and
WHEREAS, Predeceased by his first wife, Shirley Sonnenfeldt, Richard
W. Sonnenfeldt is survived by his second wife of 29 years, Barbara
Sonnenfeldt; their six children, Ann (Sam) Goldberg, Larry (Barbara)
Sonnenfeldt, Michael (Katja) Sonnenfeldt, Elizabeth (Michael) Holdstein,
Catherine Hausman, and Marguerite DeNicola; and 15 grandchildren, Sara,
Adam, Gillian, Andrew, Joya, Patricia, Margaret, Forrest, Alex, Peter,
Ellen, Henry, Daniel, Isaac and Sophia; as well as his brother, Helmut
(Marjorie) Sonnenfeldt, who was a National Security Council adviser
during the Nixon administration; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit, imbued with a sense of
compassion, and comforted by a loving family, Richard W. Sonnenfeldt
leaves behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and
will remain as a comforting memory to all he served and befriended; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Richard W. Sonnenfeldt, the chief interpreter for the
American prosecution at the Nuremberg War Trials; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Richard W. Sonnenfeldt.