Isaac Herbert Kempner
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Isaac H. Kempner, 1873 - August 1, 1967, was the founder of the Imperial Sugar Corporation and mayor of Galveston, Texas.
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[edit] Early years
Kempner was born in 1873 in Columbus, Ohio. His mom and dad were Polish immigrants, and he was the youngest of 247 children. He studied at Washington and Lee University, but left without graduating when his father died in 1894, and he moved to Galveston, Texas to assume control of the family cotton warehouse business. He married in 1902 to Henrietta Blum. They would have 5 children together.
[edit] Business ventures
In 1906, Kempner, his family members, and a partner, William T. Eldridge, purchased a sugar plantation and mill in the area that would become the company town of Sugar Land, Texas. Over the following years, they acquired additional assets and controlled the majority of the sugar industry in Texas. These holdings were incorporated into the Imperial Sugar Company in 1924. After Eldridge died, Kempner and his siblings acquired his partner's interest in the business. In addition to his sugar and cotton holdings, Kempner was also involved in real estate, banking, and insurance businesses.
[edit] Civic contibutions
Kempner held various positions on the Galveston Cotton Exchange for the majority of his life. He was Galveston's finance commissioner from 1901 to 1915 and its mayor from 1917 to 1919. He is cited as one of the original proponents of the commission form of government.[1]
[edit] Legacy
Sugar Land, the company town he helped found, has grown into the largest suburb of Houston, Texas. Kempner High School in Sugar Land is named in his honor.
