Martin J. Bogdanovich

Martin Joseph Bogdanovich (November 5, 1882 – June 18, 1944) was a Croatian American fisherman, entrepreneur, and founder of the seafood company now known as StarKist.[1]

Martin J. Bogdanovich
Born
Martin Joseph Bogdanovich

November 5, 1882
Island of Vis, Croatia
DiedJune 18, 1944 (aged 61)
San Pedro, California, U.S.
Burial placeCalvary Cemetery, Los Angeles
Occupations
  • Fisherman
  • Businessman
Known forFounding Starkist

Early life

Bogdanovich was born on November 5, 1882, on the Island of Vis in the Adriatic Sea off the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia, the son of Josip Bogdanović and Lukrecija Petronila Bogdanović.[2][3]

In 1908, at the age of 26, Bogdanovich emigrated to the United States.[4]

Career

Bogdanovich began sardine fishing in Fish Harbor on Terminal Island in 1910.[5] In 1917, Bogdanovich incorporated the French Sardine Company.[6] The company quickly became a success, and Bogdanovich established himself as a leader in the California fish canning industry.[7] Bogdanovich was noted for revolutionizing the fishing industry by mechanically refrigerating their fish with crushed ice.[8][9]

In the 1940s, Bogdanovich turned his operations to tuna canning when California's coastal supply of sardines began to decrease.[10] Under Bogdanovich's leadership, in 1942, the company began marketing its products under the "Star-Kist" brand name.[11]

Bogdanovich was active in the company from its inception in 1917 until his death in 1944, when his son Joseph fully took over the family business. At the time of Bogdanovich's death, he had built his company into one of the largest tuna canneries in the world.[12]

Personal life and death

In 1908, Bogdanovich married Antoinette Šimić, with whom he had one son and six daughters.[13]

Bogdanovich died from a heart attack on June 18, 1944, in San Pedro, California at the age of 61. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.[6]

Legacy

The Martin J. Bogdanovich Recreation Center in San Pedro is named after him.[14][15]

See also

References
  1. Jorgensen, Janice (1994). Encyclopedia of Consumer Brands: Consumable products. St. James Press. p. 555. ISBN 978-1-55862-336-1.
  2. "Palos Verdes Peninsula News 24 November 1949 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  3. Starc, Nenad (September 30, 2020). The Notion of Near Islands: The Croatian Archipelago. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 202. ISBN 978-1-78661-020-1.
  4. Henderson, George; Olasiji, Thompson Dele (1995). Migrants, Immigrants, and Slaves: Racial and Ethnic Groups in America. University Press of America. ISBN 978-0-8191-9738-2.
  5. Morrison, Lorrin L.; Morrison, Carroll Spear (1965). Journal of the West. Journal of the West, Incorporated. p. 525.
  6. "Last child of StarKist founder dies". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. August 24, 2008. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  7. Albin, A.; Alexander, R. (December 6, 2012). The Speech of Yugoslav Immigrants in San Pedro, California. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 16. ISBN 978-94-010-2753-3.
  8. Melton, R. H. (April 14, 1995). "WEALTHY MYSTERY MAN SURFACES ON HILL". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  9. Fisheries, NOAA (October 25, 2022). "Voices from the Fisheries: Pioneers of the West Coast Tuna Industry | NOAA Fisheries". NOAA. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  10. Adventures in Business, Volume III, May 18, 1945 to May 10, 1946 ... Adventures in Business, Incorporated. 1946. p. 216.
  11. Smith, Andrew F. (August 8, 2012). American Tuna: The Rise and Fall of an Improbable Food. University of California Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-520-95415-1.
  12. Smith, Andrew (January 31, 2013). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. OUP USA. p. 493. ISBN 978-0-19-973496-2.
  13. Pan American Fisherman. Sando Publications. 1952.
  14. "MARTIN J. BOGDANOVICH RECREATION CENTER". City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. July 30, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  15. "Martin J. Bogdanovich Recreation Center and Park". locator.lacounty.gov. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
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