He was the son of David Hays, a pharmacist and treasurer of the College of Pharmacy of the City of New York, and Judith Salzedo Peixotto.
[4] The firm's clients included some of the most prominent businesspeople in New York City, including General Adam Badeau against the executors of Ulysses S. Grant's estate for services in preparing Grant's memoirs, and was counsel for General Daniel E. Sickles during the latter's term as Sheriff of New York County.
Sinai Hospital, the Home for Aged and Infirm Hebrews, B'nai B'rith, and the Educational Alliance.
[6] An early supporter of the Young Men's Hebrew Association, he served as its director for many years and was its vice-president in 1878 and president from 1879 to 1880.
He was also president of the Mount Morris Club, a large and influential social organization in the upper part of New York City.
While there, he was a delegate from Rockland County in the 1884 Democratic State Convention,[3] which nominated David B. Hill for governor.
In November 1893, he was appointed Commissioner of Appraisal and in charge of grades in the Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth wards in New York City.
[9] While serving in the latter position, he was selected the Union's permanent chairman at its 1923 Golden Jubilee Convention in New York.
The honorary pallbearers included Oscar Strauss, ex-Judge Samuel Greenbaum, Dr. Stephen S. Wise, Federal Judge Julian W. Mack, Adolph S. Ochs, Walter Law Jr., and David M. Bressler.