Samuel Simeon Fels

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Samuel Simeon Fels, the youngest son of Lazarus and Susanna Fels, was born in Yanceyville, N.C., on February 16, 1860. His family moved north to settle in Philadelphia, where in 1876 Samuel joined the soap manufacturing business established that year by his older brother. The firm, Fels & Co., was incorporated in 1914, and Samuel became its first president, holding the office until his death in 1950. (The company was sold to Purex Corporation in 1964.) While remaining active in the affairs of Fels & Co., he also became one of Philadelphia's most prominent philanthropists. He took an active interest in, and gave generous support to, civic, scientific, cultural, and educational causes. In 1936 Fels established the Samuel S. Fels Fund to continue financial support in these areas. The Fund is still active (2005) and provides support through endowment to numerous non-profit organizations in the Philadelphia area.

[edit] Notable Contributions

Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania

Fels helped to found the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society in 1884, the Federation of Jewish Charities in 1901, and the Federated Allied Jewish Appeal in 1938. He also contributed to projects in Palestine, including the Jewish Agricultural Experiment Station from 1914, the Palestine Economic Corporation from its founding in 1925, and the Hebrew Technion Institute of Technology at Haifa from 1940. In 1934 he became a supporter of the Refugee Economic Corporation, and helped many Jews to emigrate from Western Europe before and during World War II. Among these were physicist James Franck, whose research on photosynthesis at the University of Chicago from 1939 Fels also supported.

A letter of 17 July 1916, signed by Woodrow Wilson, designates Fels an elector for the Pennsylvania Democratic ticket. He was also named a delegate-at-large to the Democratic National Convention in 1936. Fels gave financial support to the NAACP from 1912, a study of unemployment by Swarthmore College in 1930, the League of Nations in 1930, and the establishment of a United Nations Council in 1944.

Samuel Simeon Fels founded the Fels Research Institute in 1929 as a philanthropic fund that would continue his endeavours even beyond his death. Its first project was the Fels Longitudinal Study. This study still continues today and focuses on physical development throughout the lifespan, although it was donated to the Wright State University School of Medicine in 1977 and was only funded by the Fels Fund through 1982.

In 1930 Fels donated the Fels Planetarium to Philadelphia's Franklin Institute.

Fels' provided support for music and musicians including financial assistance to the National Opera Association and the Academy of Music, and was a director of the Philadelphia Orchestra Association from 1915-1935. Fels also gave support to found the New School of Music in Philadelphia in 1943.

Fels founded the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government in the Wharton School of Finance in 1937. The new Institute’s proposed concentration on local government was revolutionary when compared to the focus of other programs of the day on state and Federal government and on international affairs. The Institute is now part of the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences.