Bernheim, Isaac W. (Isaac Wolfe), 1848-1945

John Lyle Bayless, Jr. has been a resident of Anchorage, Kentucky his whole life. The Bayless family has lived in Anchorage since the mid-nineteenth century when his great-grandfather, Dr. George Wood Bayless, settled there. The Bayless estate at the time of this interview bordered what was "Homewood," the summer residence of Isaac W. Bernheim. Bayless knew Bernheim before the latter moved away from Louiville in the mid-1920s.

Bertram "Pete" Bernheim, Jr. is son of Dr. Bertram Bernheim and grandson of Isaac W. Bernheim. Bernheim retired from the US Air Force and the brokerage business. He lived in Baltimore, Maryland at the time of this interview. Bernheim visited his grandfather on numerous occasions and also recalls IW Bernheim staying with his family in Pikesville, Maryland, outside of Baltimore.

IW Burnham, II is the grandson of Isaac W. Bernheim. He was very close to his grandfather and was associated with him on a business as well as personal level. Burnham was an early member of both the Isaac W. Bernheim Foundation and Isaac W. Bernheim Trust. He served as the Trust investment advisor beginning in 1935. Under his attention and expertise it did very well. Burnham served as a trustee of both the Bernheim Foundation and Trust at the time of this interview. He was the honorary chair of the board and director of the investment firm of Drexel, Burnham, Lambert, Inc., and Drexel, Burnham, Lambert Group.

Lewis D. Cole was the grand-nephew of Isaac W. Bernheim through the latter’s half-sister Sarah. Mr. Cole was a resident of Louisville, Kentucky. His family had both a personal and business relationship with I. W. Bernheim. This interview deals with Cole' early life, relationship with I.W. Bernheim and the Bernheim Foundation.

The narrator discusses her family history; second-hand recollections of Jewish immigrants to Louisville during the 1840s; the Sabel, Selligman, Dembitz, Brandeis, and Flexner families; Jewish assimilation into the Christian community; Jewish neighborhoods; Louisville politics; Alfred Selligman; the League of Women Voters; Charles Morris; I.W. Bernheim; the Standard Club; relationships between German and east European Jews; Jewish businesses; and Jewish teachers.

Hallie Paul is the widow of Robert Paul, Isaac Bernheim's longtime personal secretary and executive secretary and director of the Bernheim Foundation. Hallie and Robert Paul met in Colorado and were married in approximately 1930. Mrs. Paul knew Mr. Bernheim and was associated with Bernheim Forest almost from the beginning. At the time of the interview, her memory had begun to fail.

Mr. Paul recollects on the life of I.W. Bernheim, Louisville distiller and philanthropist. The interview includes information on Bernheim's religious views, his opinions about Jewish assimilation into American society, the Reform Church of American Israelites, I.W. Bernheim's personality, business, and philanthropic interests, especially the whiskey business in Louisville and Bernheim's endowment of Bernheim Forest. Bernheim manufactured the bourbon whiskey I.W. Harpe.