Sam Born (September 10, 1891 – March 23, 1959) was an American

businessman A businessperson, also referred to as a businessman or businesswoman, is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial ...

and candy maker.

Biography

Samuel Bernstein was born into a

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family in Vinnitsia,

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(now Vinnytsia in

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). He had been a rabbinical student from Berdichev, Ukraine, before his family fled to

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, where he learned the art of chocolate-making. Under his original name Samuel Bernstein, he immigrated to the United States in December 1909. He sailed on the S/S ''Merion'' from

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; 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

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for inventing a machine that mechanically inserted sticks into lollipops.

Just Born

In 1923 he founded the Just Born company in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York, a candy manufacturer that still manufactures Peeps, Mike and Ike, and Hot Tamales. 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

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, in 1932.

Death and legacy

In March 1959 Born died on board the Cunard liner ''Britannic'' while it was at sea, having departed from

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en route to

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

References

1891 births 1959 deaths People from Vinnytsia People from Vinnitsky Uyezd Ukrainian Jews Jews from the Russian Empire Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent American inventors 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American inventors 20th-century American Jews American food company founders Businesspeople from Pennsylvania Businesspeople in confectionery People from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Businesspeople from Brooklyn People who died at sea {{Russia-business-bio-stub