Shepard Broad (July 8, 1906 – November 6, 2001) was a
Belarusian-
American banker
A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital m ...
,
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters.
The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...
, and
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
.
Early life and immigration to America
Shepard Broad was born in
Pinsk
Pinsk (; , ; ; ; ) is a city in Brest Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Pinsk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. It is located in the historical region of Polesia, at the confluence of t ...
, in the
Minsk Governorate
Minsk Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, with its capital in Minsk. It was created from the land acquired in the partitions of Poland and existed from 1793 until 1921. Its territory covered th ...
of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
(present-day
Belarus
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
) as Szmuel Bobrowice.
He trained as a
tailor
A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century.
History
Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...
's apprentice, but
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...
offered little opportunity to a young
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
boy. At the age of 14, he joined the mass migration to North America. Hoping to land in New York, he ended up in
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
. Canadian immigration authorities planned to send him back to Belarus, but his plight came to the attention of Adolph Stark, president of the
Canadian-Jewish Immigration Society. Stark took him home.
Stark offered to adopt the boy, but Broad was determined to find an uncle in New York. Stark gave him a train ticket and Broad made it to New York in 1920. He knew no English at the time.
Education and professional career
Shepard Broad received his law degree from
New York Law School
New York Law School (NYLS) is a private, American law school in the Tribeca neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City. The third oldest law school in New York City, its history predates its official founding in 1891 by Theodore William Dwight, T ...
in 1927, and he was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1928. From 1928 through 1940, Mr. Broad practiced law in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
.
In August 1940, Mr. Broad was admitted to
The Florida Bar and opened a law office in
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The municipality is located on natural and human-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean ...
, the next year. On January 1, 1946, he founded the law firm of
Broad and Cassel, which continues to this day with offices throughout Florida.
In 1946, Mr. Broad helped organize the Bank of Hollywood Hills and the North Shore Bank of Miami Beach. The following year, he helped establish the American Savings and Loan Association of Florida. He subsequently served as the president of the Mercantile National Bank of Miami Beach. He assisted in founding the Bank of Miramar, Florida.
Civic activities and philanthropy
Involvement with Israel
He and 21 other Jewish men met in a New York City apartment in 1945 and agreed on an audacious plan to help create a homeland for the world's Jewish people. Among his colleagues:
David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion ( ; ; born David Grün; 16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the primary List of national founders, national founder and first Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister of the State of Israel. As head of the Jewish Agency ...
, who later became Israel's first prime minister.
As World War II drew to an end, Broad, Ben-Gurion and their colleagues met in New York City and created an underground infrastructure to raise funds for Israel, provide weapons for its eventual
1947–1949 Palestine war
The 1948 Palestine war was fought in the territory of what had been, at the start of the war, British-ruled Mandatory Palestine. During the war, the British withdrew from Palestine, Zionism, Zionist forces conquered territory and established ...
and help Holocaust survivors and others reach what was then called
Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
.
Bay Harbor Islands, Florida
Broad became intrigued by of mud and
mangroves
A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen and remove sal ...
that rose out of
Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay is a lagoon with characteristics of an estuary located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida. The northern end of the lagoon is surrounded by the densely developed heart of the Miami metropolitan area while the southern end is large ...
. He envisioned apartment complexes, single-family homes, golf courses, and shops. The $600,000 asking price seemed out of reach, so Broad traded his interest, floors, of the downtown Biscayne Building for the swamp. He sketched the plans for what he called Bay Harbor Islands, designing it in two pieces. One piece for single family and one for multiple family. His vision was realized and the result was single-family homes on the western island, condos and rental apartment on the eastern island.
The town was incorporated in 1947 and Broad was elected to 26 consecutive one-year terms as mayor. His pay: $1 a year.
When he finally relinquished the job, he reminisced about the first election, one that was uninhibited by complications like voters. Broad joked:
"Shepard's Folly"
Also in 1947, the Legislature authorized him to build a causeway at 125th Street and Biscayne Boulevard. The $2.5 million road was to be financed by self-liquidating bonds without expense to taxpayers. His detractors dubbed the causeway "Shepard's Folly," but he persevered and it was completed in 1951. The bridge now carries the name of the
Broad Causeway.
Educational institutions
Shepard Broad's other community activities include serving as a member of the Board of Governors at the
Shepard Broad College of Law of
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a Private university, private research university in Florida with its main campus in Fort Lauderdale-Davie, Florida, Davie, Florida, United States. The university consists of 14 colleges, offering over ...
, earning honorary degrees from Nova University and
Barry University
Barry University is a private Catholic university in Miami Shores, Florida. Founded in 1940 by the Adrian Dominican Sisters, it is one of the largest Catholic universities in the Southeast and is located within the Archdiocese of Miami.
Th ...
, participating in the leadership of several hospitals, and endowing the Shepard and Ruth Broad Center for the Performing Arts of Barry University.
Shepard Broad and his wife Ruth, through the legacy of The Shepard Broad Foundation,
Inc., have given generous support to major universities and hospitals throughout the world including:
Florida International University
Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Westchester, Florida, United States. Founded in 1965 by the Florida Legislature, the school opened to students in 1972. FIU is the third-largest univ ...
,
Barry University
Barry University is a private Catholic university in Miami Shores, Florida. Founded in 1940 by the Adrian Dominican Sisters, it is one of the largest Catholic universities in the Southeast and is located within the Archdiocese of Miami.
Th ...
,
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...
,
Florida State University
Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
and the
Shepard Broad College of Law
at
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a Private university, private research university in Florida with its main campus in Fort Lauderdale-Davie, Florida, Davie, Florida, United States. The university consists of 14 colleges, offering over ...
.
The Ruth K. & Shepard Broad Educational Series Florida International University
/ref>
In 1995, he donated $174,350 for computer equipment at the new Ruth K. Broad Bay Harbor Elementary School, which was named for his late wife.
Health care
He was also a benefactor to Mount Sinai Medical Center & Miami Heart Institute.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Broad, Shepard
1906 births
2001 deaths
People from Bay Harbor Islands, Florida
Belarusian Jews
Polish emigrants to the United States
American people of Belarusian-Jewish descent
American bankers
20th-century American lawyers
American Zionists
Nova Southeastern University
20th-century American philanthropists