John F. Wharton

John Franklin Wharton (1894–1977) was a prominent American lawyer and founding partner of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. Wharton's work was steeped in the classic era of Broadway theatre; he was an aficionado of the stage from his youth, and his practice as a lawyer developed around a series of representations that helped shape the theater business in the United States. Biography Born in Newark, New Jersey, Wharton attended Williams College, New York Law School and Columbia Law School, which awarded him a Bachelor of Law in 1920. With fellow Columbia Law student Louis Weiss, Wharton formed the predecessor firm that would eventually become Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. He served as partner in the firm until his retirement in 1977. Wharton's second marriage was to Betty Ann Fisher, an actress who performed under the stage name Mary Mason. Career