Felix Infausto '32 and Clara Infausto

Felix was born in 1909 in Jacobs, Pa. Despite losing both hands in an industrial accident as a teenager, he graduated with honors from high school and won a scholarship to the University of Buffalo, where he received both his undergraduate and law degrees. After 11 years in private practice, he was appointed Assistant Attorney General of the state of New York. He moved on to the state Department of Social Services where he stayed for 32 years as a legal adviser and administrator. At the time of his retirement, he was the deputy commissioner for legal affairs at the department. He then returned to private practice, specializing in private matters. He authored “Interstate Enforcement of Family Support”, which is the authoritative reference in its field. He helped pioneer such novel social legislation as the Uniform Adoption Act, the Uniform Child Jurisdiction Act, the Interstate Compact on Juveniles, the Interstate Compact on Placement of Children and was one of the principal writers of the Family Court Act. He was a lecturer at the College of Saint Rose and was honored for his work by the Queen of England at Buckingham Palace in 1971. He belonged to the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the American Judicature Society, the Inter-American Bar Association, the American Public Welfare Association and the American Association of Public Welfare Attorneys. Felix was president of the Northeastern Regional Conference on Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support and was founder and director of Welfare Research Inc., a group engaged in social research. The Eastern Regional Interstate Child Support Association presents an annual Felix Infausto Award for leadership in the field.

As a tribute, his widow, Clara endowed the Felix Infausto Scholarship in honor of her husband, Felix Infausto, JD ’32, to provide scholarships for disabled students with financial need.

Felix passed away in 1992, and Clara in 2010.

Pictured: Felix Infausto, JD ’32