Herman Spertus
Herman Spertus, 105, born March 10, 1901, in Lubach, Chernigov, Ukraine, prominent businessman and remarkable civic and communal leader, patron of academic, artistic and Jewish causes, died April 5, 2006.
Donations in commemoration can be made to Herman Spertus Acquisition Fund at Spertus Museum.
A multifaceted, resourceful, and self-made man, Herman Spertus led a life that encountered the challenges and promise of the twentieth century. Never ceasing to look ahead, his story continues to inspire others. He was 105, and is survived by his second wife Hilda, sons Philip and Robert, daughter Anita, and their families, including 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Born in 1901 in Czarist Russia, Herman Spertus was the eldest of the five children of Meriam and Harry Spertus, who encouraged their sons to study commerce and engineering. After the revolution, the Spertus family emigrated to America, but as highly educated young men, the Communist government would not permit Herman and his brother Maurice to accompany them. Rising turbulence and anti-Semitism offered no future in the Soviet Union, so at great peril to their lives, they escaped in 1923. Bonded ever more tightly to each other by danger and opportunity, they reached America and rejoined their family in Chicago.
To support the family, the brothers found jobs as assembly line workers, studying English at night. They learned quickly. Two years later they opened their own business producing hand-crafted wrought iron products. A few years after that, eager to explore the new concept of indirect lighting, they founded a company to manufacture lamps. This enterprise was initially successful but in the early 1930s was swept away by the onset of the Great Depression.
Despite this setback, their entrepreneurial spirit remained intact. Inspired by the widespread popularity of Kodak’s new Brownie camera, Herman and Maurice envisioned a role for photo frames, hitherto custom-made in artisan workshops. By applying the principles of mass production they felt that they could make it possible for people to afford to display pictures of their loved ones.
In 1933, Metalcraft Corporation was born. Later known as Intercraft Industries, it eventually became the world’s largest manufacturer of picture frames. That same year, Herman married Sara Levin, with whom he reared five children and shared a deep commitment to social justice, a strong sense of family and of giving, and a profound appreciation for the arts. He began to paint, which satisfied a creative urge until his last days, and sharpened his eyes as a collector.
During World War II, Intercraft suspended production of consumer goods to make navigational instruments for the U.S. Navy, but after the war, propelled by ingenuity and keen business acumen, the brothers’ frame business grew at a rapid pace. They quickly acquired prominence as business and community leaders, and fixed a lifelong commitment to progressive philanthropic goals.
Inspired by American opportunity and by the cultural heritage that had sustained them, Maurice and Herman became ardent supporters of the College of Jewish Studies in Chicago. Maurice created the Spertus Museum as a home for his extensive collection of Judaica, to which Herman added many fine examples of 20th century painting and sculpture. In 1970, the school was renamed Spertus College, to honor the family’s generosity. In 1993, the College, the Museum, and the Asher Library were reconstituted as the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies. This institution has become a thriving center of Jewish learning and culture.
Horrified by the persecution of Jews in Europe, Herman and Maurice became lifelong supporters of the State of Israel. Even before the birth of the country, they raised money for the Haganah (predecessor to the Israel Defense Forces). Herman and Sara were early champions of the American Israel Cultural Foundation, realizing that music and art were as vital to the nation as guns and butter. In 1974, they answered a personal request from Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek by sponsoring the first gallery at the city’s new Israel Museum.
Herman’s family life was not without sadness. In 1974, he lost his second-born son Harry, aged 35, to cancer. Son Eugene, who had been President of Intercraft, died in 1986 at age 46. Herman’s brilliant grandson, David, was killed at age 21 in a mountain-climbing accident on the Matterhorn.
After 45 years of marriage, Sara passed away in 1978. Though deeply saddened, Herman increasingly channeled his energy toward the betterment of the community. Many prominent institutions received their start as a result of Herman’s involvement. He helped found the Council for Jewish Elderly, as well as North Shore Congregation Israel. He was actively involved with the Bernard Horwich Jewish Community Center and the United Way. At age 79, the oldest person ever to have held the position, he became Chairman of the Jewish United Fund’s annual drive, where he oversaw a record-setting fundraising campaign. Herman’s example had an enormous impact on the Jewish community and thereby encouraged the participation of others.
For his long record of leadership and accomplishment, Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne nominated Herman to the city’s Senior Citizen Hall of Fame in 1981. Marking this honor, the Jewish Federation declared that "the total sum of his endeavors and achievements should place him among the most meritorious Chicagoans of any age." In 1993, the Metropolitan Jewish Federation bestowed upon him the Rosenwald Award, its highest honor.
Herman was an ardent patron and a personal friend of countless artists whose talents he helped cultivate and sustain, among them Franz Kline, Yaacov Agam, Richard Hunt, Edward Dugmore, Karel Appel, Rudolph Weisenborn, Irving Petlin, and Maryan.
Even in his last years, Herman Spertus remained active, enjoying an occasional martini, painting, and spending time with family and friends. Much to his dismay, he was forced to give up his golf game at age 100, when he began to require the use of a cane. In 2005, Herman participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new home of Spertus Institute, to be built on Michigan Avenue.
In a life filled with family and friends, warmth and intelligence, beauty and humor, Herman Spertus defined achievement. "The American dream belongs to all of us," he once said. He led by example, planting seeds of a personal vision that have blossomed into a garden of inspiration for others. He taught us how to learn, to enjoy, and to contribute. And as everyone will testify who knew him well, or was privileged to visit a museum in his company, he taught us how to see.
"Herman's passion, commitment to lifelong learning, and clarity of thought have been a source of guidance to all those around him," said Dr. Howard A. Sulkin, President of Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies. "His noble character helped to bring about innumerable noble deeds. I will miss him deeply."
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