Isaac Herbert Kempner
Encyclopedia
Isaac H. Kempner, 1873 - August 1, 1967, was the founder of the Imperial Sugar Corporation
and mayor of Galveston, Texas
.
. His father was a Polish Jewish immigrant and his mother was of the German Jewish Seinsheimer family from Cincinnati. He was the eldest of 8 surviving children. He studied at Washington and Lee University, but left just before graduation when his father died in 1894, and he returned to his family home in Galveston, Texas to assume control of the family business and care for his mother and 7 siblings that were as young as 2 years old at the time. He married in 1902 to Henrietta Blum. They had 5 children together.
, established the American National Insurance Company
; However, by 1908, Kempner had sold his shares in the insurance company and with 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
. 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 and insurance businesses and, along with his siblings, held ownership in the United States National Bank
in Galveston.
.
metropolitan area. Kempner High School
in Sugar Land is named in his honor. A historical district of Galveston, TX - the Kempner Park neighborhood, is bounded by Broadway, 23rd Street, Seawall Boulevard, and 39th Street. The entire stretch of 22nd Street in Galveston is named in his honor. Kempner, along with his siblings, was instrumental in the founding of the Harris & Eliza Kempner Fund, a charitable foundation dedicated to the health and well being of Galveston families as well as the improvement of Galveston.
His granddaughter, Lyda Ann Thomas
, served as the Mayor of Galveston between 2004 - 2010.
Imperial Sugar
Imperial Sugar is a major U.S. sugar producer and marketer based in Sugar Land, Texas, with sugar refinery operations in California, Georgia, and Louisiana....
and mayor of Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
.
Early years
Kempner was born in 1873 in Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. His father was a Polish Jewish immigrant and his mother was of the German Jewish Seinsheimer family from Cincinnati. He was the eldest of 8 surviving children. He studied at Washington and Lee University, but left just before graduation when his father died in 1894, and he returned to his family home in Galveston, Texas to assume control of the family business and care for his mother and 7 siblings that were as young as 2 years old at the time. He married in 1902 to Henrietta Blum. They had 5 children together.
Business ventures
In 1905, Kempner and fellow Galveston businessman William Lewis Moody, Jr.William Lewis Moody, Jr.
William Lewis Moody Jr. was an American financier and entrepreneur from Galveston, Texas, who founded a private bank, an insurance company, and one of the largest charitable foundations in the United States. Moody was active in the day-to-day operations of his companies until two days before his...
, established the American National Insurance Company
American National Insurance Company
American National Insurance Company is a major American insurance corporation based in Galveston, Texas. The company and its subsidiaries operate in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa.-Company description:...
; However, by 1908, Kempner had sold his shares in the insurance company and with his family members, and a partner, William T. Eldridge, purchased a sugar plantation and mill in the area that would become the company town
Company town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
of Sugar Land
Sugar Land, Texas
Sugar Land is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area and Fort Bend County. Sugar Land is one of the most affluent and fastest-growing cities in Texas, having grown more than 158 percent in the last decade. In the time period of 2000–2007, Sugar Land also enjoyed a...
. 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
Imperial Sugar
Imperial Sugar is a major U.S. sugar producer and marketer based in Sugar Land, Texas, with sugar refinery operations in California, Georgia, and Louisiana....
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 and insurance businesses and, along with his siblings, held ownership in the United States National Bank
United States National Bank
The United States National Bank of Galveston [USNB] was a federally chartered bank in Galveston, Texas. It was founded in 1874 and was merged into Frost National Bank in 2000. It was the last of 33 banks chartered in the US that used the forbidden title "United States" in its name.- History :The...
in Galveston.
Civic contributions
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 governmentCity commission government
City commission government is a form of municipal government which once was common in the United States, but many cities which were formerly governed by commission have since switched to the council-manager form of government...
.
Legacy
Sugar Land, the company town he helped found, has grown into the largest suburb of the Houston–Sugar Land–BaytownGreater Houston
Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget. It is located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas...
metropolitan area. Kempner High School
Kempner High School
I. H. Kempner High School is a public high school in Sugar Land, Texas, USA and a part of the Fort Bend Independent School District.It was named after Isaac Herbert Kempner, the founder of Imperial Sugar, through which the city of Sugar Land received its name...
in Sugar Land is named in his honor. A historical district of Galveston, TX - the Kempner Park neighborhood, is bounded by Broadway, 23rd Street, Seawall Boulevard, and 39th Street. The entire stretch of 22nd Street in Galveston is named in his honor. Kempner, along with his siblings, was instrumental in the founding of the Harris & Eliza Kempner Fund, a charitable foundation dedicated to the health and well being of Galveston families as well as the improvement of Galveston.
His granddaughter, Lyda Ann Thomas
Lyda Ann Thomas
Lyda Ann Thomas is the former mayor of Galveston, Texas, United States. She was first elected in 2004 to succeed Roger "Bo" Quiroga. Thomas was the third female mayor of Galveston.-Education and politics :...
, served as the Mayor of Galveston between 2004 - 2010.