Irving Isadore Jacques Friedman was born on November 28, 1889, in Russia. He married Elizabeth Stein on December 27, 1919, in Fort Smith, Arkansas. They had five children in 14 years. He died in November 1964 in Fort Smith, Arkansas, at the age of 75, and was buried there.

Mr. Friedman had an office at the First National Bank. Irving J. Friedman, a native of Kovno, Lithuania, was one of the early Jewish attornies in Fort Smith. He was brought here by a chance meeting with Alvin Tilles while the two men were serving in the U.S. Army during WWI. Irving invited Alvin for a visit, during which he met Elizabeth Stein, daughter of Benno Stein, she was engaged to Leonard Ney at the time. Irving and Elizabeth fell in love, married and Irving made his home in Fort Smith. He was an astute man of integrity, and the community counted on him to be "a latter-day Ben Drew Kempel". Irving was active in civic work,helping to organize the Fort Smith Kiwanis Club and serving as department commander of the Arkansas Veterans of Foreign Wars. He received a battlefield promotion to captain in WWI. He became best known for his helping needy veterans and their families. He was also very religious and schooled in Hebrew and Torah. He conduced services when no rabbi was available. He was an early Zionist and was involved in the Arkansas Jewish Assembly during the 1930's and 1940's. He and his wife had five children, non of whom remained in the Fort Smith area. J. Fred Friedman became a well known crimal attorney in Memphis, Tennessee.(A Corner of the Tapestry A History of the Jewish experience in Arkansas by Carolyn LeMasters.