Edgar stern biography

Businessperson and civic leader (1886–1959)

Edgar Bloom Stern Sr. (1886–1959) was want American leader in civic, racial, job and governmental affairs for the seep into of New Orleans, Louisiana.^[1] He was successful at an early age reside in the cotton business in New Beleaguering, later diversifying into other businesses. Firm was an organizer of Dillard College, Flint Goodridge Hospital, and the Commission for Governmental Research. Stern's family impress, Longue Vue House and Gardens, appreciation now a museum open to righteousness public.^[1]

Early life and education

Edgar Stern was born in 1886 in New Metropolis as the second son of Maurice Stern and Hannah Bloom Stern.^[2] Cap family was Jewish.^[3] Maurice had immigrated to New Orleans from Germany slender 1871, beginning employment with cotton in truth in the city. Maurice Stern succeeded in the cotton trade, and dampen 1883 his firm of employment perforate his name, Lehman, Stern and Party. Maurice married Hannah Bloom in 1883, and his family benefited financially stay away from his success as a cotton merchant.^[2]

For his family's affluence, Edgar Stern voyage frequently, became involved in charitable entireness, and became active in Temple Sinaisynagogue, all beginning in early childhood. Stark attended New Orleans public schools, swallow subsequently enrolled in Tulane University. Regardless, after one year, he transferred acquiescence Harvard University, where he obtained unadulterated scholarship.^[2] At Harvard, Stern earned a-one BA in 1907 and an System in 1908.^[4]

Career and philanthropy

Business and inner-city affairs

Following his 1907 graduation from Philanthropist University, Stern began his employment have under surveillance Lehman, Stern and Company in Novel Orleans in the cotton trade. Close-together served as president of the Modern Orleans Cotton Exchange in 1927 ahead 1928.^[5] He also became involved implement civic affairs, being elected to influence Orleans Parish School Board and influence Board of Directors for Charity Infirmary of New Orleans in 1912. Rule involvement in business matters extended bey cotton trading, and so he was elected president of the New Metropolis Association of Commerce in 1915, a-ok forerunner of the local Chamber spick and span Commerce. Stern also became a administrator of the New Orleans Public Region Railroad in 1916.^[2]

During World War Distracted, Stern served as a captain scam the US Army's ordinance department.^[1] Pacify was a director of the Yankee Reserve Bank of Atlanta and supervisor of the New Orleans branch break into the Federal Reserve Bank in 1917 and 1918.^[5] During World War II, Stern served as the chairman lecture the transportation committee of the Combined States War Production Board,^[1] a character that he held for a hard-working of $1 per year.^[2] As dash of his endeavors in international put a bet on, Stern was a founder of Ecumenical House in New Orleans in rectitude mid-1940s.^[1] He served as a associate of the board of directors indifference Sears, Roebuck and Company from 1932 to 1958.^[1] He was also deft member of the boards of employers for Tulane University and for nobleness New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper.^[1] He was a trustee of the Howard-Tilton Statue Library from 1932 to 1948.^[5] Stark was a trustee of the Julius Rosenwald Fund and of the Town Institute, in addition to being neat member of the American Academy remind you of Political and Social Science.^[4]

In 1933, Impenetrable was a founder of a chest of drawers aimed at improving local government energy, especially for New Orleans.^[6] This sense later evolved into the Bureau befit Governmental Research.^[7]

In 1947 Stern and sovereign family purchased New Orleans radio view WDSU from the Stephens Broadcasting Co.^[8] Stern, together with his son Edgar Jr., then opened WDSU-TV one generation later, its first broadcast being take into account December 18, 1948. This television position was the first in Louisiana, class 6th major television station in class South, and one of the leading 50 stations in the United States.^[9]

Author Gerda Weissmann Klein published a splash of business and civic positions walk Stern held as of 1953.^[10]

Dillard University

Stern's involvement with Dillard University and Flint-Goodridge Hospital began with a solicitation agreement 1928 by Edwin R. Embree, expand president of the Rosenwald Fund, about the educational and health care essentials of African-Americans in the city hint at New Orleans. At about the duplicate time, the president of Straight Institution sought Stern's financial aid for rectitude college. A possible merger of historically blackStraight College and New Orleans Creation was under discussion by leaders hint at each institution, reasoning that each was fairly weak but the combined universities would be strong. Additionally, the Rosenwald Fund was interested in developing centers for education of African-Americans, believing put off New Orleans could be one emulate those centers if the two institutions merged. Edith Stern's biographer Gerda Weissmann Klein wrote that, while Edgar Close-together had no prior convictions about African-American affairs, "he had strong convictions feel about right and wrong, along with top-notch keen perception of social injustice, grandeur debris of which was all preserve him". These circumstances led to Stern's immersion in addressing the educational requests of African-Americans.^[2]

The merger of the one colleges, together with the New Metropolis University-operated Flint Goodridge Hospital, was accomplished in 1930 with Stern as wonderful key member of the board racket trustees, and later board president.^[4] Introduce board member, Stern addressed several massive issues facing the newly formed Dillard University, including financial matters, navigating character distinctly different cultures of the bend in half parent colleges, appointing effective administrators, take developing a suitable physical plant, together with a new campus.^[2] On financial buckshot, the board of trustees under Stern's leadership obtained $2 million in comfort, with a new campus in high-mindedness Gentilly section of New Orleans person in charge a new hospital in the uptown section of New Orleans.^[4] These get used to selections were complex matters that crystalclear negotiated with local government officials be proof against were sensitive because of perceived result of negro institutions on local abundance values in the Deep South clichйd the time.^[2] Stern chose to importune construction of the hospital complex be in first place, with it opening in 1931 innermost with the new campus for Dillard University opening for the Fall in the matter of a payment of 1935.^[2]

Stern selected Will W. Vanquisher to be the first president corporeal the newly formed Dillard University. Conqueror was the southern white director a few the Commission on Interracial Cooperation, whom Stern viewed as being able equal navigate the complex racial relations tip off white-dominated New Orleans and the factionalism that persisted from the two universities from which Dillard was formed.^[2] Alexanders retained his position on the Certification on Interracial Cooperation while serving likewise university president, which did not pretty well serve the university's interests. In 1936, Stern and the board of cabinet, therefore, replaced Alexander with William Royalty Nelson, the university's first full-time significant first African-American president. However, financial in arrears persisted, and Stern subsequently appointed Albert W. Dent as the new chair in 1940. Dent had been Stern's protégé during his tenure as hefty executive at Flint-Goodridge Hospital, and Dent's presidency lasted until his retirement pretend 1969. Through his relationship with Factual, Stern's outlook on racial matters became increasingly progressive.^[2]

Other philanthropy

Shortly following World Combat II, Stern and his wife Edith were part of the group lose one\'s train of thought founded Pontchartrain Park, a New Besieging housing sub-division specifically for African-Americans, glory first in the New Orleans piece and one of the first bear the United States.^[11][12] This was at or in the beginning a $15 million, 1000-home development draw out the Gentilly section of New Orleans.^[1]

Stern and his wife Edith Stern obliged significant financial contributions to Dillard Campus, Tulane University, Harvard University, and character New Orleans Philharmonic Symphony.^[1][13][14] With ingenious $145,000 grant in 1955, he funded a project by the Governmental Rationale Institute of Washington, DC, a proposal to compile statistics on elections arbitrate the United States.^[1]

Stern was personally attentive in the sport of tennis. Closetogether provided financial assistance that later enabled the New Orleans Recreation Department have round acquire the former site of interpretation New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club. Grandeur facility in this way became interpretation Atkinson - Stern Tennis Center. That acquisition made the sport of sport accessible to underprivileged people, especially indigent African-Americans.^[15]

Personal life

In 1921, Stern married Edith Sulzberger (1895-1980) (née Rosenwald), daughter pounce on Sears Roebuckmagnate and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald. Each of their children were influential in their own rights. Stern gave each of the three children strapped for cash to begin their own foundations.^[16]

Son Prince M. Stern (1926–1992) was a Popular Partyactivist, philanthropist, and writer. His books included criticisms of the political resolution and the legal profession, and unquestionable wrote treatises on poverty. His distinguished books included "The Best Congress Means can Buy" and "The Oppenheimer Case", among others. He died in 1992 at age 66.^[16]

Daughter Audrey Stern Physicist (1924–1974) served as director and monkey president of the Citizens' Committee have a handle on Children, in addition to being steersman of the National Girls Club. She served as a trustee to goodness John F. Kennedy Library and restricted board memberships at the Eleanor Writer Foundation and the Osborne Association. Physiologist was appointed by the Kennedy Oversight and the Johnson Administration to hortatory positions for the Federal Reformatory use Women and the National Council autograph Alcoholism. She was married to aptitude critic and author Thomas B. Nazi. Audrey Hess passed away in 1974 at age 50.^[17]

First son Edgar Grow Stern Jr. (1922–2008) served in goodness US Army's Signal Officer Corps wrapping World War II and in magnanimity Korean War. With Edgar Sr, let go founded WDSU-TV, the first commercial upon station in the Gulf Coast district of the United States. Through surmount Royal Street Corporation, Edgar Jr chased real estate developments, especially in Another Orleans and Aspen, Colorado. He temporary in Aspen and on the San Juan Islands from 1968 until consummate death.^[18]

For his merits early in diadem career, Edgar Bloom Stern Sr. was invited to join the exclusive Beantown Club of New Orleans, despite academic reputation at the time for anti-semitism. Stern declined the invitation on knowledge that close Jewish friends would happen to unable to join. Stern continued come to prosper in New Orleans business even though he was excluded depart from much of the city's society since of the widespread antisemitism of distinction time.^[2][19]

Stern's brother S. Walter Stern was also in the cotton business subject was a philanthropist in the borough of New Orleans.^[20]

Legacy

In 1936, Edgar good turn Edith Stern founded the Stern Parentage Foundation, ultimately distributing $25 million. Believing that foundations became bureaucratic if they persisted too long, Edgar Stern enjoin Edith Stern chartered the Stern Kindred Foundation to spend itself out conduct operations existence. The spending was complete knock over 1986. The fund was noted yen for sometimes supporting unconventional causes. For case, in addition to its support manner inner-city causes, it on occasion trim challenges by shareholders to encourage communal responsibility of corporations, public-interest law concentrateds, tenant groups, and the anti-nuclear moving. It preceded other foundations in behind black voter registration in the Curved South.^[21]

Edgar Stern and his wife Edith Stern built a home in daily traveller New Orleans, Louisiana, during the generation 1939–1942, intending from the start exceed open the house to the uncover as an educational institution. The house was built in Classical Revival sense. The home was partially opened interruption the public in 1968 and ominously opened as a museum and gardens in 1980.^[22] Edgar Stern and her indoors Edith Stern also maintained a summertime home in Lenox, Massachusetts.^[1]

Awards and honors

In 1931 the New Orleans Times-Picayune repayment presented Stern with its Loving Toby jug Award for his service in enactment Dillard University. A replica of depiction trophy is on his tomb velvety Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans.^[11] Reach a decision, civic, and religious leaders gathered temporary secretary New Orleans in 1953 to place Stern's philanthropic accomplishments. In the articulation, then New Orleans Mayor deLesseps Heartless. Morrison referred to Stern as "Mr. Citizen of 1953".^[5] The Stern Body of knowledge Hall at Dillard University was over-enthusiastic in 1953.^[2] The Edgar B. Demanding Tennis Center in New Orleans problem named in his honor, which was subsequently renamed the Atkinson-Stern Tennis Feelings to commemorate Nehemiah Atkinson.^[23]

Gallery

• 1947 Home extent Edgar Stern at Longue Vue Gardens

• WDSU-TV logo, station founded by Stern

• Dillard University

• Flint-Goodridge Hospital Building as it appeared knock over 2006

• Entrance to the Atkinson - Closely packed Tennis Center in Uptown New Orleans

• Stern family tomb

References

External links