Businessmen

Benovitz discusses her grandparents, Lithuanian immigrants, and her grandfather's work as a peddler; her father's dry goods business and the family's life in Carrollton, Mississippi, where they lived for twenty years before returning to Louisville in 1923; her husband's business in New Albany, which operated from 1941 until 1966; the Depression of the 1930s, World War II, and recent changes in the local Jewish community.

Berman discusses how and why his parents came to the United States from Poland; his father's work as a peddler and in other businesses; the early Orthodox Jewish community in Louisville; the effects of the Depression on this father's business; his decision to attend the University of Louisville School of Law, from which he graduated in 1928; his early law practice; and activities in Keneseth Israel congregation. Berman concludes with reflections on changes in the local Jewish community during his memory.

Alex Berman talks about Jewish young people joining professions, the effect of the Great Depression on small businesses, investing in real estate in the early 20th century, his generation choosing to enter the professions rather than going into business, working as a lawyer defending bootleggers for a brief period, his opinion about the Masons not doing enough to resist nazism, his reflections on a recent reports of swastikas posted in Louisville and the Constitutional right to free speech. He also reflects on the changes in the Jewish community over time, his involvement in the Junior Order of United American Mechanics.

Booth is a local plumbing contractor. In this interview, he discusses his life, education, and business, emphasizing small, Black-owned businesses. This interview is restricted, please contact archives@louisville.edu for more information.

Breckenridge is a Black businessman from Louisville who founded his own construction-contracting company in 1971. In this interview he discusses his life, family history, education, career and views of Black history in Louisville. Redevelopment of Louisville and early Black contractors are also discussed.

K. A. Bright is a third generation Black Louisville businessman. He discusses his family's history in the drug store and beauty aid businesses, his education and personal history.

The narrative traces Mr. Edward's moves from Moorhead, Mississippi, to Chicago, Illinois, and later to Louisville, Kentucky. During these years Mr. Edwards attended innovative programs in Chicago and graduated from Shawnee High School. After attending Western Kentucky University and Bowling Green Business College, Mr. Edwards was successful in obtaining an Office of Minority Business Enterprise (O.M.B.E.) loan for the Pressley and Edwards Machine and Welding Company. A large portion of the interviewer traces the persistent efforts of Edwards and others to make the company a success. Mr. Edwards is a member of a large extended family presently living in Louisville.

The daughter and granddaughter of Vic Lorch discuss family history and the family business, Vic Lorch and Sons, which operated at various locations in Louisville, Kentucky.

Born to Tal and Laura Moorman in Daviess County, Kentucky, Frank Moorman, Sr., came to Louisville in 1926 to rejoin his former employer, Dr. White, at his new drugstore in the Mammoth Building. Moorman later opened a drugstore with Dr. J.C. McDonald on the corner of Sixth and Walnut. He later opened a service station at Eighth and Walnut; this station became Frank's Super Service. Moorman discusses his grandparents and parents in the Buckhorn community in Daviess County, the evolution of his business, his feelings on the civil rights movement and race relations.

The narrator discusses her parents, Stella Leon and Julius Shapinsky; the wholesale dry goods business which her father operated on Main Street in Louisville until 1921; early life at 11 West Burnett and in the Weissinger-Gaulbert Apartments; the building of the Brown Hotel; street cars in Louisville; childhood recollections of Louisville Central Park; childhood recollections of Louisville's Fourth Street business district; the Kentucky Home School, the Quorum Club, and the Standard Club; Louisville Marine Hospital (later called Louisville Memorial Hospital); the Council of Jewish Women and the resettlement of German Jews in Louisville; congregation Adath Israel; and the origins of Kentucky Jewish Post and Opinion.