Leo Schultz (councillor)
Joseph Leopold Schultz - Sir Leo Schultz OBE (1900 – 1991) was a British politician who was a dominant figure for four decades in 20th century Kingston upon Hull.
Sir Leo Schultz OBE | |
|---|---|
 Sir Leo Schultz statue, at the Guildhall in Hull | |
| Born | 1900 |
| Died | 1991 (aged 90–91) |
| Monuments | Statue at the Guildhall in Hull |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Home town | Kingston upon Hull, England |
| Spouse(s) | Kate Pickersgill (1928–1975; her death) |
| Children | Lionel Schultz Robert Rosner (adopted) |
| Parent(s) | Solomon Schultz |
He was an active councillor for many years, and was leader of the City Council from 1945 to 1979.
Biography
Leo Schultz was born in 1900, the son of a Polish immigrant, Solomon Schultz, and his wife (née Hiller).[1][2]
At the age of 15 he came first in regional exams for a scholarship for Oxford University, but was told that the university was not a suitable choice for someone of his working-class background and Jewish religion.[3] He later became a socialist and used his skills in the realm of public service,[3] his political career began in 1926 as a Labour councillor for the Myton ward of Hull.[4]
In 1919 he met, and in 1928 married Kate (Kitty) Pickersgill.[5]
Before the Second World War, Leo Schultz campaigned for Hull City Council to build bomb shelters. He was successful and the shelters helped save many lives.[6][7] During the war, he was decorated for his work as an Air Raid Warden,[3] and also served as Lord Mayor from 1942–3.[8]
From 1945 to 1979 Schultz was leader of Hull City Council.[3] His role in Kingston upon Hull's public life led him to receiving the moniker "Lion of Hull",[1] or "Mr. Hull".[8]
He received an OBE in 1946, in part for his work during the war, and was knighted in 1966 for services to local government,[4] he received an honorary doctorate of Law from Hull University in 1979.[9]
Kitty Schultz died in 1975, Leo Schultz died in 1991 aged 91.[1][5]
Tarran scandal
After being Lord Mayor, Schultz was implicated in the Robert Greenwood Tarran corruption scandal in Hull Council.[10]
Legacy
The Schultz had a single son Lionel, They also adopted Robert Rosner, a Jewish-Austrian child who left continental Europe on the kindertransport, who became an architect in adult life.[1][5]
The Sir Leo Schultz High School was established in the Orchard Park Estate, Hull.[11]
Artist Nigel Boonham was commissioned to produce a full-size statue of Sir Leo Schultz,[3] unveiled at Hull's Guildhall in 2011.[8]
References
- Dysch, Marcus (12 May 2011), "The Lion of Hull is finally honoured", The Jewish Chronicle, retrieved 14 May 2012
- NPS Group property consultants (August 2009), Sir Leo Schultz Statue – Planning and Listed Building Consent Application (PDF), "MR HULL", retrieved 14 May 2012
- "Bronze of Sir L. Schultz OBE", Hull Museums Collection, retrieved 14 May 2012
- "Wartime duties honoured with an OBE", This is Hull and East Riding, 11 May 2011, retrieved 14 May 2012
- "Lady Kitty and Sir Leo", This is Hull and East Riding, 14 March 2012, retrieved 14 May 2012
- "Remembered at last: our city's darkest hours", This is Hull and East Riding, 6 May 2011, archived from the original on 6 December 2013, retrieved 14 May 2012
- There is a war on you know – Life though the eyes of children living in the Sculcoates area of Hull during the Second World War (PDF), Stepney Primary School, pp. 5–6, retrieved 14 May 2012,
An Air Raid Precautions Committee had been set up in Hull in 1938 in anticipation of an unsettled world and it proved to be a big life saver in the next six years. The Hull Corporation spent £1.5 m building 40,000 various types of shelter throughout the city.
- "Statue unveiled to celebrate 'Mr Hull' Sir Leo, a giant of 20th century", This is Hull and East Riding, 11 May 2011, retrieved 14 May 2012
- Honorary graduates – S to Z, University of Hull, archived from the original on 1 May 2012, retrieved 14 May 2012
- Godden, Ann. "Digby Willoughby - Corruption In The Council" (PDF). Retrieved 1 November 2015.
- "Hill Sir Leo Schultz High School Records", The National Archives, retrieved 14 May 2012
Further reading
- Rosner, Bob (2010), One of the Lucky Ones: rescued by the Kindertransport, Quill Press, ISBN 0-9543001-9-X, account of Robert Rosner and his 13-year-old sister Renate, who stayed throughout the war with Leo Schultz OBE in Hull and attended Kingston High School. Their parents survived the war and Renate returned to Vienna.