Edward Piszek

Edward John Piszek (24 October 1916 – 27 March 2004) (PEE-zeck) co-founded the Mrs. Paul's frozen foods brand with John Paul, a bread salesman. Piszek bought out his partner in the 1950s.

Edward Piszek
Piszek (seated) in 1971
Born
Edward John Piszczek

(1916-10-24)October 24, 1916
Chicago, Illinois, US
DiedMarch 17, 2004(2004-03-17) (aged 87)
Emlen House, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, US
NationalityAmerican
Other namesThe Fishcake King
The Big Fishcake
The Polish Ben Franklin
EducationWharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (business administration)
OccupationBusinessman
Spouse(s)Olga Pauline McFadden (d. 1993)
Children5
AwardsJ.E. Bi-Centennial Caldwell Award

His family moved from Chicago to a farm near Quakertown, Pennsylvania, and then to Philadelphia, where his father opened a grocery store. He later earned a degree in business administration by attending the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the evenings.

One of his early jobs was as a salesman for Campbell Soup. He hit upon the idea of selling frozen fish in 1946 when he was on strike from his job at the General Electric plant in Philadelphia.

The company suffered after Piszek bought Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips in 1979. He sold the business to the Campbell Soup Company in 1982 for close to $70 million.

He wrote a book, "Some Good in the World: A Life of Purpose".[1]

Philanthropy

He gave millions to battle tuberculosis in Poland and started the Copernicus Society of America to honor Polish achievements. He bought the Philadelphia house where Tadeusz Kościuszko, the Polish statesman who aided the American Revolution, once lived, restored it, and donated it to the National Park Service. It is now part of Independence National Historical Park.

His donations to Little League Baseball in Poland made Kutno, Poland, the league's European training center. He befriended Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Kraków before he became Pope John Paul II.

He was a member of Gore 2000.

Sources
  • Martin, Douglas (March 30, 2004). "Edward J. Piszek, 87, Dies; Founded Mrs. Paul's Brand". The New York Times. pp. C15. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
  • Strybel, Robert. "The Story of a True Pol-Am Philanthropist". Polish American Journal. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
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References
  1. Piszek, Edward J; Jake Morgan (October 2001). Some Good in the World: A Life of Purpose. Boulder: University Press of Colorado. p. 235. ISBN 0-87081-627-6.
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