Benjamin Abrams (August 18, 1893 – June 23, 1967)[1] was an American businessman and a founder of Emerson Radio & Phonograph Corporation after his purchase of Emerson Records in 1922.[2] Along with his brothers he invented a number of devices that are commonplace today, among them midget transistor radios, self-powered radios, and clock radios.[3]
Benjamin Abrams | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 18, 1893 Dorohoi, Romania |
| Died | June 23, 1967 (aged 73) |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Kramer |
| Family | Nelson Peltz (son-in-law) |
Biography
editHe was born in Dorohoi, Romania and emigrated with his parents to the United States when he was 12.[4]
He was a prominent donor to Jewish cause.[5] He was a founder of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, a founder of the Greater New York Committee for Israel Bonds, and a founder and board member of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of Greater New York. He served as a member of the board of directors of the United Jewish Appeal, the Weizmann Institute, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the American Financial and Development Corporation for Israel, and the American Friends of the Hebrew University.[5] In 1954, he funded the electronic laboratory at the Weizmann Institute at Rehovot which was named in his honor.[5]
Abrams was a Freemason. He was a member of Farragut Lodge No 976 in New York.[6]
He was married to Elizabeth Kramer.[7] In 1964, his daughter Cynthia Abrams married businessman Nelson Peltz;[8] they divorced in 1981.[9]
References
edit- ^ Biography at hbs.edu
- ^ "Emerson Radio Shifts Its Management Team (Published 1964)". The New York Times. 1964-03-27. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
- ^ Biography Archived January 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine at Consumer Electronics Association website
- ^ Marjorie Dent Candee, Current Biography yearbook, Volume 15, Page 3 (H. W. Wilson Company), 1954
- ^ a b c "Benjamin Abrams, Prominent Jewish Philanthropist. Dies Suddenly: Was 74". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. June 26, 1967.
- ^ Denslow, William R. 10,000 Famous Freemasons, Vol. I, A-D.
- ^ "Elizabeth Kramer, 86, Crusader Who Raised Millions for Israel". The New York Times. December 8, 1994.
- ^ "Nuptials at the Plaza For Cynthia Abrams". The New York Times. June 11, 1964.
- ^ Gross, Michael (October 10, 2006). 740 Park: The Story of the World's Richest Apartment Building. Crown. ISBN 9780767917445.
External links
edit- Benjamin Abrams profile on Consumer Electronics Association
- How Benjamin Abrams took Emerson Radio and Phonograph Corporation to the corporate top Info at A Touch of Business.com
- Chronological info at consolidatedscrap.com
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