Louis Bamberger

Louis Bamberger (15 May 1855 – 11 March 1944) was a citizen of Newark, New Jersey, from the early 1900s until his death in 1944.[1][2] He and his sister Caroline Bamberger Fuld co-founded the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.[1][2] He was a businessman and philanthropist and at his death all flags in Newark were flown at half-staff for three days, and his large department store closed for a day.[2]

Louis Bamberger
Louis Bamberger, date unknown
Born(1855-05-15)15 May 1855
Died11 March 1944(1944-03-11) (aged 88)
NationalityAmerican
FamilyFelix Fuld (brother-in-law)
Caroline Bamberger Fuld (sister)
Moses Hutzler (grandfather)

Early life

Louis Bamberger was born in 1855 to a German Jewish family in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Theresa (née Hutzler) and Elkan Bamberger.[1][2] His mother belonged to the family that ran Hutzler Brothers in Baltimore.[1] His grandfather was Moses Hutzler.[1] He had six siblings: Caroline Bamberger Fuld; Clara "Lavinia" Bamberger; Rosa Bamberger; Julius Bamberger; Pauline Bamberger; and Julia Bamberger.[3]

Bamberger's

He came to Newark in 1892 and bought at auction a failing general goods store on Market Street, renaming it L. Bamberger & Company,[1][2] with his partners, brothers-in-law Felix Fuld and Louis M. Frank[4][2],. The store was an immediate success, and Bamberger was able to open an ornate chateauesque building in 1912 that covered a whole city block.[2] For decades, Bamberger’s clock was the downtown meeting place for Newarkers.[2] In 1928, the store's sales were $28 million (equivalent to $477 million in 2022), making it the fourth highest grossing store in the United States.[5]

In 1929, Bamberger sold his department store to R.H. Macy and Company, which kept the original Bamberger name.[2] Bamberger knew that he owed his success to hundreds of able employees, and split $1 million among 240 employees.[2] The Bamberger name remained in use for the stores in the New Jersey division of Macy's until 1986.[2]

Charitable work

Bamberger supported both secular and Jewish charities.[2] Bamberger personally funded the buildings for Newark’s YMHA, the Newark Museum, and the New Jersey Historical Society.[2] He worked to help persecuted Jews escape from Germany's Third Reich.[5] Bamberger was also a major contributor to the Community Chest and Beth Israel Hospital.[5]

Institute for Advanced Study

Founders' Rock at the Institute for Advanced Study, dedicated to him and his sister

Bamberger and his sister Caroline Bamberger Fuld worked with Abraham Flexner to found the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.[6] They gave a $5 million endowment to the Institute. Upon Bamberger's death the bulk of his estate was left to the Institute.[1]

Personal life

Bamberger was a shy man who never married and focused on running his store.[1][2] His partner Felix Fuld was the more outgoing of the two, and his sister Caroline Bamberger Fuld was most involved in the charity activities of the family.[1]

Legacy and honors

References

  1. "An Enlightened Life of Selling and Giving". Knowing Newark:Charles F. Cummings. July 16, 1998. Retrieved 2019-04-28.
  2. Forgosh, Linda B. (2016-09-06). Louis Bamberger: Department Store Innovator and Philanthropist. Brandeis University Press. ISBN 9781611689822.
  3. Hutzler, Charles S. (January 1980). "Family Tree of the Hutzler Family - Richmond, Virginia". Hutzler Family.
  4. Burstyn, Joan N.; Jersey, Women's Project of New (1997). Past and Promise: Lives of New Jersey Women. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 9780815604181.
  5. Bertholf, Kenneth Jr.; Dorflinger, Don (2011-04-18). Blairstown and Its Neighbors. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781439624227.
  6. Roselló, Joan (2019-02-01). Hilbert, Göttingen and the Development of Modern Mathematics. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 9781527527621.
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