Paul Secon
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Paul Secon (July 13, 1916 – February 24, 2007) was an American entrepreneur who co-founded Pottery Barn with his brother, Morris, in 1950.
Born in Philadelphia, Secon was the son of Russian immigrants. He was musically gifted, and played the trumpet, piano, oboe, and flute. In 1950, he was an unemployed writer and musician living in New York City when he heard about a business opportunity from Morris. Morris' wife had recently purchased stoneware at a yard sale in their hometown of Rochester, New York. Morris took a liking to the pieces, which were designed by Glidden Parker at his factory in Alfred, New York. Parker informed him that he had three barns full of discontinued or slightly damaged products for sale. The brothers decided to buy the pieces for US$2,500, and, with the help of their father, rented a store on 10th Avenue in New York City to sell their wares, thus giving birth to Pottery Barn.
A year later, an article in The New Yorker praised the store, and customers flocked to it in droves. Paul remained store manager, while Morris, who was also musically inclined, became principal hornist for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and teacher at the Eastman School of Music. In 1959 Paul started taking long trips to Europe in search of new product lines, and asked Morris to help manage the store. In 1966, Paul sold the company to Morris and moved to Denmark, where he pursued his earlier career of music and writing, and where his son, Lucas Secon, was born. In the 1990s, Paul moved back to the United States and settled in Rochester, where he died at his home at the age of 91.
[edit] References
- Hevesi, Dennis (March 7, 2007). "Paul Secon, Entrepreneur Who Helped Found Pottery Barn, Dies at 91". The New York Times. Retrieved on March 8, 2007.
- Miller, Stephen (March 6, 2007). "Paul Secon, 91, Founded Pottery Barn". The New York Sun. Retrieved on March 8, 2007.
- Diaz, Fernando (March 3, 2007). "Pottery Barn's co-founder dies at 91". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved on March 8, 2007.
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Secon, Paul |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | 20th century American entrepreneur |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 13, 1916 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 24, 2007 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Rochester, New York |
Paul Secon also wrote songs for Nat King Cole,The Mills Brothers,The Inkspots and many more for which he receives royalties to this day. A true,fearless pioneer who championed the personal touch in every aspect of life,focusing on the individual rather than the masses. He will be sorely missed.RIP.
