Ben Schifman
Born(1913-04-20)April 20, 1913
Kansas City, Missouri, US
DiedSeptember 22, 1998(1998-09-22) (aged 85)
Kansas City, Missouri, US
NationalityAmerican
Occupationjournalist
Years active1930–1982
EmployerThe Kansas City Star
OrganizationSABEW
SpouseMary Lapin
Children3

Ben B. Schifman (April 20, 1913 – September 22, 1998) was a business journalist for The Kansas City Star who won a Gerald Loeb Award and served as the treasurer and president of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW).

Early life

Schifman was born on April 20, 1913, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Celia and Aron Schifman.[1][2] Celia was born in Zawichost, Poland.[3] Celia and Aron, who was also born in Poland, both emigrated to the United States in 1906 and settled in Kansas City.[3][4] Schifman had a sister named Rose and four brothers – David, Herman, Maurice, and Meyer.[3]

Schifman grew up in Kansas City, where he attended Humboldt School.[2] He attended Manual Training High School, where he appeared in a production of the operetta Sunbonnet Sue in 1929.[2][5] He dropped out of school before graduation to help support his family when the Great Depression hit.[1] He later took night classes at Kansas City Junior College and a two-year course given by the American Institute of Banking.[1][6]

Career

United Press

Schifman started his career in 1930 working for the United Press.[2] He became a financial writer and helped establish the St. Louis financial relay for the company.[2]

The Kansas City Star

In 1934, Schifman began working for The Kansas City Star as a temp reporting on livestock, produce, and grain.[1][7] He became a staff reporter later in the year.[8] In 1936, he became a financial writer while doubling as a court reporter.[2][9] That same year, he started the first local daily financial column in Kansas City entitled "On The Financial Front."[2][1] He became the financial editor in 1954 after being mentored for the position.[1][8] He received a Gerald Loeb special achievement award for a series of articles in 1961 on the stock market and related investment problems in which he predicted the 1962 stock market crash.[2][1]

Schifman became involved in the business side of the employee-owned newspaper during the 1960s. He was appointed assistant treasurer in 1962, made investment manager of the newspaper in 1963, and elected treasurer in 1966.[10][11][8] In 1967, he was elected to the board of directors, then named financial vice president the following year.[12][7] When the Star purchased Graham Paper Company in 1971, Schifman served as a vice president and board member of the new subsidiary.[13]

In 1972, Schifman received a financial press fellowship from the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania.[14]

The Star sold itself to Capitol Cities Corp. in 1977, netting Schifman approximately $2 million from the sale of his employee shares in the company.[15] After the sale, he became a consultant to the newspaper and retired in 1982.[9][7]

Kansas City Society of Financial Analysts

In 1952, Schifman helped organize the Kansas City Society of Financial Analysts.[8][16] He served on the first membership committee.[16]

Radio

Schifman hosted the business news show Financial Pages of the Air that was broadcast on WDAF Radio in 1955.[17][18]

SABEW

Schifman was elected to two terms as the first treasurer of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers in 1964 and 1965.[19][20] He was elected to one term as the second president of the organization in 1966.[21] In 1967, he joined the SABEW board of governors.[22]

John Hancock Awards

Shifman served as a judge for the 1968 John Hancock Awards for Excellence.[23]

Superior Equipment Manufacturing Co.

In 1981, a group of Kansas City businessmen led by Schifman purchased the Superior Equipment Manufacturing Company from Tiffany Industries.[24] Schifman became the chairman of the company.[24] Later that year, Superior bought the Campbell Manufacturing Company of Walthill, Nebraska.[25] Superior filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1986 and reorganized as Superior-Delta Manufacturing, Inc., the following year.[26][27]

Personal life

Schifman married Mary Lapin on June 6, 1937, after a four-month engagement.[28][29] Mary and Schifman had three children. Stanley Lapin Schifman was born on May 5, 1939.[30] He married Kathryn Lynn Greenwood, daughter of Paul S. Greenwood, on March 30, 1963, and they divorced in 1966.[31][32] He died on May 27, 2007.[33] Elinor Sue Schifman was born in 1940 or 1941.[2] She married Paul Norman Gershon, son of Clarence Gershon, on August 31, 1963.[34] William Marcus Schifman was born in 1948 or 1949.[2]

During World War II, Schifman served in the Third Missouri Infantry.[2]

Mary was a member of the Mizrachi Women of America and was elected to the position of third vice-president of the Kansas City chapter in 1950.[35]

Schifman and his wife were both active with the Kehilath Israel synagogue. Mary served as president of the synagogue's women's group in 1956.[31] Schifman was made a trustee of the congregation, served as vice president of the board, and was a director of the synagogue.[2][8] He helped with the synagogue's Israel Bonds campaign, at one point serving as the campaign's chairman, and received a citation in 1962 from the national campaign headquarters.[2][36]

Schifman was active with youth programs in the early 1960s. He served as a director and financial vice president of the Kansas City Junior Achievement program.[37][38][39][40] He also served as an area director for the Kansas City Boy Scout council and was a member of the Tribe of Mic-O-Say.[2]

In 1970, the Kansas City Friends of the National Jewish hospital and Research center in Denver, Colorado, honored Schifman for his leadership efforts in supporting the hospital, calling him "a truly great citizen of the community."[41]

Mary died on October 9, 1992.[42] Schifman died on September 22, 1998.[7]

Awards

  • 1962 Gerald Loeb special achievement award for Newspapers[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Lanier, Olivia (March 2014). "Ben Schifman: 1913–1998. The Kansas City Star". Society of American Business Editors and Writers. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Ben Schifman wins prize for series". The Kansas City Times. Vol. 125, no. 123. May 23, 1962. p. 3. Retrieved July 18, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 "Mrs. Aron Schifman". The Kansas City Times. Vol. 115, no. 63. March 13, 1952. p. 13. Retrieved July 18, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Aron Schifman". The Kansas City Times. Vol. 115, no. 96. April 21, 1952. p. 3. Retrieved July 18, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Extra Concert Today". The Kansas City Star. Vol. 50, no. 61. November 17, 1929. p. 12-D. Retrieved July 25, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "He's a Bull on KC-USA". The Kansas City Times. Vol. 119, no. 44. February 21, 1956. p. 21. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Ben Schifman Dies At 85". Latrobe Bulletin. Vol. 96, no. 235 (Thursday ed.). Associated Press. September 24, 1998. p. 16. Retrieved July 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "New Presses for the Star". The Kansas City Star. Vol. 86, no. 116 (Main ed.). January 11, 1966. pp. 1-A–2-A. Retrieved July 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 "Nelson's Frontier Daily To Note Birthday". Tyler Courier-Times. Vol. 103, no. 12. United Press International. September 14, 1980. pp. 4–7. Retrieved July 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ "Production Head Elevated by Star". Springfield Leader and Press. Vol. XXIX, no. 212 (City Final ed.). Associated Press. January 16, 1962. p. 15. Retrieved July 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Job Spans 48 Years". The Kansas City Star. Vol. 84, no. 28 (Main ed.). October 15, 1963. p. 2. Retrieved July 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "K.C. Star In Changes". Springfield Leader and Press. Vol. 38, no. 33 (City Final ed.). Associated Press. January 1, 1967. p. A10. Retrieved July 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ↑ "Graham Paper Bought By Kansas City Star". Springfield Daily News. Vol. 81, no. 166 (City Final ed.). Associated Press. July 13, 1971. p. 7. Retrieved July 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Schifman to Receive Financial Fellowship". The Kansas City Times. Vol. 104, no. 129 (Main ed.). February 4, 1972. p. 3A. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ Chriss, Nicholas C. (February 16, 1977). "Paper's Sale Proves Story of Lifetime for Newsmen". Los Angeles Times. Vol. XCVI, no. 75. pp. I-1, I-17. Retrieved July 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. 1 2 "To Guide Analysts Group". The Kansas City Star. Vol. 72, no. 365. September 16, 1952. p. 15. Retrieved July 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Financial Page of Air Bows on WDAF-Radio". The Kansas City Star. Vol. 75, no. 261. June 5, 1955. p. 8-G. Retrieved July 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ "Sound History of Atom A Tuesday Night Feature". The Kansas City Star. Vol. 75, no. 324. August 7, 1955. p. 4-E. Retrieved July 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ "Business Writers Pick Livingston". Tucson Daily Citizen. Vol. 92, no. 129. May 29, 1964. p. 9. Retrieved July 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "Connor sights record corporate profits". Wilmington Morning News. Vol. 167, no. 116 (City ed.). Associated Press. May 15, 1965. p. 29. Retrieved July 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Business Writers Elect Officers". Minneapolis Tribune. Vol. XCIX, no. 353 (Morning ed.). May 12, 1966. p. 14. Retrieved July 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ "Business Writers Elect". The Kansas City Star. Vol. 99, no. 205. Associated Press. May 4, 1967. p. 10A. Retrieved August 2, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ "S-G Writer Wins Award". Star-Gazette. Vol. 7, no. 41 (Final ed.). March 20, 1969. p. 1. Retrieved July 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. 1 2 "Tiffany To Sell Its Grain Storage Division". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Vol. 103, no. 188 (Final ed.). July 10, 1981. p. 10A. Retrieved July 25, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ↑ "Kansas City firm acquires Walthill spraying company". The Sioux City Sunday Journal. Vol. 118, no. 87. October 25, 1981. p. A12. Retrieved July 25, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ↑ "Superior Equip. file bankruptcy". Mattoon Journal Gazette. Vol. 112, no. 67. April 8, 1986. p. A-3. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ↑ "Superior changes approved". Mattoon Journal Gazette. Vol. 113, no. 167. October 13, 1987. p. A-3. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ↑ "Among the June Brides". The Kansas City Star. Vol. 57, no. 269. June 13, 1937. p. 14-C. Retrieved July 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ↑ "In Society". The Kansas City Star. Vol. 57, no. 157. February 21, 1937. p. 12-C. Retrieved July 19, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ↑ Laird, Landon (May 7, 1947). "About Town". The Kansas City Times. Vol. 110, no. 96. p. 7. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. 1 2 "Weddings". The Kansas City Times. Vol. 83, no. 195. March 31, 1963. p. 7-C. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ↑ "Divorce Suits". The Kansas City Times. Vol. 98, no. 154. March 5, 1966. p. 31. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ↑ "Stanley Lapin Schifman Obituary". Louis Memorial Chapel. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Weddings". The Kansas City Star. Vol. 83, no. 349. September 1, 1963. p. 7-C. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  35. ↑ "Heading The Kansas City Chapter". The Kansas City Star. Vol. 70, no. 263 (Main ed.). June 7, 1950. p. 28. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ↑ "Israel Bonds Sold". The Kansas City Times. Vol. 125, no. 271 (Jackson County ed.). November 12, 1962. p. 4. Retrieved July 27, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ↑ "A Junior Firm Branch". The Kansas City Star. Vol. 79, no. 273 (Main ed.). June 17, 1959. p. 8-A. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Newspaper.com.
  38. ↑ "Heads Junior Achievement Board". The Kansas City Times. Vol. 123, no. 150. June 23, 1960. p. 19. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ↑ "To Achievement Post". The Kansas City Times. Vol. 124, no. 150. June 24, 1961. p. 6. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ↑ "Board of 37 Named". The Kansas City Star. Vol. 83, no. 268 (Main ed.). June 12, 1963. p. 1-B. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ↑ "Group Honors Ben Schifman". The Kansas City Times. Vol. 102, no. 227. May 29, 1970. p. 3. Retrieved July 27, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  42. ↑ Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007
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