Florence Melton

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Florence Melton

Florence Zacks Melton (November 6, 1911 - February 8, 2007) pursued careers as an inventor, business woman, education activist and philanthropist throughout a lifetime of creativity and leadership. For her many years of service, dedication and guidance locally, nationally and internationally, she was received numerous awards and honors, including being inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame and recently being honored by the Columbus Jewish Foundation.

[edit] Early life

Born in Philadelphia, Melton grew up so poor that her parents could not even afford to buy her a doll, she once told the Columbus Dispatch. After working at a local Woolworth's from age 13, she left high school several months shy of graduation to help support her family. At 19, she married Aaron Zacks, and the couple moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he worked as a merchandiser for a department store.

[edit] Career

Florence Melton with Rabbi Jason A. Miller of Congregation Agudas Achim of Columbus, Ohio

Beginning her charitable activities in Columbus, shortly after moving there in the early 1940s, Melton served on the Board of United Way (then the Red Feather Agency) and with the Red Cross Nutrition Corps. In the 1970s, she became the first woman to serve on the board of the Huntington National Bank and was a founding member of CAJE (the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education).

In 1946 with her first husband, Aaron Zacks, she co-founded the R.G. Barry Corporation. While investigating foam latex as a possible material for her patented women's shoulder pad, she hit on using the material to line slippers. Marketed first as Angel Treads and later as Dearfoams, the slippers were a huge hit. More than 1 billion have been sold, according to the company.

Before her death, she served as a consultant for Product Development and Design. Her son, author and speaker Gordon Zacks, serves as the CEO of the company. Another son, Barry Zacks, founded the Max & Erma's restaurant chain in 1972, taking it public. He died in 1990.

In 1968, Melton married industrialist and philanthropist Samuel M. Melton who was instrumental in helping her develop an entirely new approach to Jewish education, Several decades ahead of their time in terms of address the learning needs of serious adult students, they created the "Florence Melton Adult Mini-School," a two-year, non-denomination program, which today operates in 71 North American communities and Australia. An adaptation of the mini-school concept, was currently being tested in Columbus. The program was called the "Florence Melton Leadership Learning Institute," targeted for individuals in leadership roles.

In the mid 1980s Melton initiated the highly successful "Discovery" program, which connects youths to family ancestry, to community, to different denominations in Judaism and to Israel. Used in the Columbus religious schools, the program involves extensive field trips and culminates in a tour to Israel.