Maurice Goldblatt

Maurice Goldblatt (c. 1892 – July 17, 1984) was the co-founder of the Goldblatt's department store.

Maurice Goldblatt
Bornc. 1892
DiedJuly 17, 1984 (age 92)
NationalityAmerican
Known forCo-founder of Goldblatt's
Spouse(s)Bernice Goldblatt
Children2
Parent(s)Simon and Hannah Goldblatt

Biography

Goldblatt was born to a Jewish family in Poland, the son of Simon and Hannah Goldblatt.[1][2] His family immigrated to Chicago in 1905.[3] In 1914, he and his brother Nathan opened a general merchandise store in a Polish neighborhood in Chicago located at Chicago Avenue and Ashland Avenue.[1] Sales grew markedly from $15,000 in the first year to $1.4 million by 1915.[1] As a discount store, the company did well through the Great Depression and by 1933 had $20 million in sales with seven stores (5 in Chicago, 1 in Joliet, Illinois, and 1 in Hammond, Indiana).[1] At the end of World War II, the company had 15 stores and over 2,500 employees. In 1946, Maurice retired[3] and handed control to his younger brothers, Louis and Joel.[1] In the 1970s, Goldblatt's had $250 million in annual sales and 47 stores with over 8,000 employees in the Chicago area.[1]

In 1981, the company filed for Chapter 11 reorganization.[3] In 1985, it was bought by JG Industries Inc. and reduced to 15 Chicago-area stores.[1] In 2003, the company filed for Chapter 7 liquidation.[1]

Personal life

In 1935, he married Bernice Goldblatt; they had two children, Stanford Goldblatt and Merle Goldblatt Cohen.[4] As his brother Nathan died of cancer in 1944, Maurice was a strong supporter of research to fight cancer and was seminal in establishing the University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation in 1947; and donated $3.4 million facility to the University of Chicago Medical Center.[3]

References
  1. "Goldblatt Bros. Inc". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago.
  2. Sawyers, June Skinner. Chicago Portraits: New Edition.
  3. "Founder of Goldblatt's Stores". The New York Times. July 19, 1984.
  4. Finley, Larry (August 11, 2009). "Key Funder of Cancer Research". Chicago Sun-Times.
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