Sam Born

Sam Born
Born
Samuel Bernstein

(1891-09-10)September 10, 1891
Vinnitsia, Russian Empire
DiedMarch 23, 1959(1959-03-23) (aged 67)
MV Britannic, Atlantic Ocean
Occupations
  • Businessman
  • candy maker
  • inventor
Known forJust Born
SpouseAnn Shaffer
ChildrenBob Born

Sam Born (September 10, 1891 – March 23, 1959) was an American businessman, candy maker and inventor.

Biography

Samuel Bernstein was born into a Jewish family in Vinnitsia, Russian Empire (now Vinnytsia in Ukraine). He had been a rabbinical student from Berdichev, Ukraine, before his family fled to Paris, where he learned the art of chocolate-making.[1]

Under his original name Samuel Bernstein, he immigrated to the United States in December 1909. He sailed on the S/S Merion from Liverpool to Philadelphia; on the ship's passenger list, his occupation was listed as "candy maker".

In 1916 Sam Born was awarded the "key to the city" of San Francisco for inventing a machine that mechanically inserted sticks into lollipops.[2][3][4][5]

Just Born

Just Born building in Bethlehem, where Peeps are made

In 1923 he founded the Just Born[6] company in Brooklyn, New York, a candy manufacturer that still manufactures Peeps, Mike and Ike, and Hot Tamales.[7] After opening a factory and store in Brooklyn, Sam brought his brothers-in-law, Irv and Jack Shaffer, into the business. He relocated the firm to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1932.

Death and legacy

In March 1959 Born died on board the Cunard liner Britannic while it was at sea, having departed from Lisbon en route to Southampton. He and his wife, Ann Shaffer, were on the last lap of a 14,000 mile world cruise, according to his obituary which appeared in The Morning Call, on March 24, 1959.[8]

His son, Bob Born, became president of the company in 1959.[9] As of February 2023, David Shaffer, a nephew of Born's, is the board chair and co-CEO of Just Born.[10]

References

  1. ^ "10 Big Jewish Inventions". Aish.com. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  2. ^ Smith, Andrew F. (2012). Fast Food and Junk Food: An Encyclopedia of What We Love to Eat. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-39393-8. He moved to San Francisco, where he invented the Born Sucker Machine. He subsequently launched Just Born, a candy company that is today headquartered in ...
  3. ^ "Sam Born: Inducted into the Candy Hall of Fame in 2006". NCSA National Confectionary Sales Association: Candy Hall of Fame Inductees. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  4. ^ Severson, Kim (3 April 1999). "Peeps Rule Roost / Easter's unofficial marshmallow treat now a chic and easy target to spoof". SFGATE. Retrieved 28 February 2023. In 1916, Sam Born, whose son would later develop a way to mass-produce Peeps and whose name the company bears, was given a key to the city of San Francisco.
  5. ^ Blitz, Matt (May 24, 2017). "The History of Peeps". Food & Wine. Retrieved 28 February 2023. In 1910, 19-year-old Russian Jewish immigrant Sam Born landed in New York....what he and his family did in Europe, which was making chocolate....
  6. ^ "Our History". Just Born. 10 May 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  7. ^ "The Pennsylvania Center for the Book - Peeps". pabook2.libraries.psu.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-02-28. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  8. ^ "Samuel Born Dies Aboard Cruise Ship". The Morning Call. March 24, 1959. p. 24.
  9. ^ Risen, Clay (February 4, 2023). "Bob Born, Who Brought Marshmallow Peeps to the Masses, Dies at 98". The New York Times.
  10. ^ Silow-Carroll, Andrew. "Bob Born, Jewish maker of Peeps marshmallow candies, dies at 98". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2023-07-15.


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