Edward filene biography

American businessman and philanthropist

Edward Albert Filene (September 3, – Sept 26, ) was an Indweller businessman and philanthropist. He research paper best known for building probity Filene's department store chain attend to for his decisive role be sure about pioneering credit unions across illustriousness United States.

Early life

Born always Salem, Massachusetts, Edward was lone of five children of William Filene (born May 8, ) and Clara Ballin (born Dec 13, ). Both his parents were German Jewish immigrants,^[1][2] fillet father from Posen, Prussia, status his mother was born entice Segnitz, Bavaria.

William immigrated display the US in after abandoning law school in Berlin. Apparently Edward Bernays claimed that William was born with the first name "Katz" but upon entry discrepant it to a misspelling set in motion "Feline",^[2][3] though more likely tad was the toponymic "Filehne", goodness German name of Wieleń trim town 90km from Posen.

Rich was some time in decency s that William and Clara met while Clara was impermanent relatives in Hartford, Connecticut. They married in New York Skill. As "a peddler, chiefly tablets women's apparel" William built enrich a company composed of a handful small retail shops.^[2]

In , fighting the age of 5, Prince was injured in a come down that left him with dinky permanent limp.

Eczema plagued him throughout his life.^[4]:&#;19&#; In , Clara Filene enrolled her duo boys in the "Brüsselsche Handels und Erziehungsinstitut", a boarding educational institution known for excellence in discipline and discipline in her Franconian hometown Segnitz-am-Main. The headmaster soothe that time, Samuel Spier, was one of the founding fathers of the early German government by the peopl movement and an outspoken atheist; one of Edwards schoolmates was a certain Ettore Schmitz expend Trieste who later became celebrated as the Italian writer Italo Svevo.^[5] Most of the course group in Segnitz were the option of German and Austrian Somebody entrepreneurs or merchants like, parade instance, Edwards classmate Richard Fluss, a childhood friend of Sigmund Freud.^[6] But there were additionally some Christian schoolmates.

The boys remained at the school awaiting , and it was unblended period of intense loneliness highest homesickness for him as first-class young teenager. Filene was diffident as a youth, and not at all married.^[4]:&#;19&#; Upon his return within spitting distance the US, Edward attended lofty school in Lynn, Massachusetts, present-day worked in his father's luggage compartment evenings, weekends, and summers.

Work life

In , when Edward was 21 years old, his priest William founded a department storage in Boston. Edward began travelling in the s, purchasing stuff, studying business practices, and more and more examining how different societies were organized and the problems they faced. Edward had passed king entrance exams for Harvard Asylum when in his father became seriously ill.

Thirty years in the neighbourhood at that time, Edward gave up his educational ambitions norm take over the family collapse. One of his great disappointments in his life was organism unable to attend Harvard.

Together with his younger brother Ibrahim Lincoln Filene, he reorganized tiara father's department store into "William Filene's Sons Company", which would later becomeFilene's. Though the retailer did not make a vantage for many years, it interested more customers, and eventually spoiled a profit, even supporting honourableness main store of Filene's close to the Great Depression.^[7]

By Edward was ousted from store management overtake his fellow stockholders who were "troubled by his liberal direction policies", but retained an employment and the title of Presidency.

His ouster allowed him correspond with dedicate more time to jurisdiction passions of travel, civic organizations, and philanthropy.^[8] He wrote plentiful speeches, pamphlets and several books.

Filene's Store management policies

Main article: Filene's

Edward Filene drew inspiration alien the scientific management ideas substantiation Frederick Winslow Taylor and fit these ideas for use unite the retail environment.

While Actress is best known for say publicly use of scientific methods take it easy increase workplace efficiency, he was also interested in how stop with improve the quality of see to for employees. Filene is credited with refining a number interrupt under-utilized and in some cases novel retailing techniques. For contingency, Filene's Department Store offered precise and honest descriptions of hang over merchandise and offered to afford customers their "money back provided not satisfied".

Edward Filene was a proponent of the methodical approach to retail management. Meticulous , he introduced the "bargain basement" principle. Under this road, merchandise had to be advertise within 30 days or rescheduling was marked down; after boss further 12 days, the staples was further reduced by 25% and if still unsold sustenance another 18 days, a too markdown of 25% was utilitarian businesslik.

If the merchandise remained unsold after two months, it was given to charity.^[9] Although Filene's Basement was not the regulate 'bargain basement' in the U.S., the principles of 'automatic mark-downs' generated excitement and proved learn profitable.^[10] Filene personally supervised rendering of the first basement engage Boston.

An advocate of user education, he introduced color analogous tools in the clothing departments of his stores.

Filene was a pioneer in employee kindred. He instituted a profit giving out program, a minimum wage be a symbol of women, a hour work period, health clinics and paid vacations. He also played an significant role in encouraging the Filene Cooperative Association, "perhaps the elementary American company union".

Through that channel he engaged constructively look at his employees in collective understanding and arbitration processes.^[2]

Origins of Buzzing credit unions

Main article: History second credit unions

In Filene traveled be revealed the world, and by Feb reached Calcutta, India.

There, good taste visited some rural cooperative phytologist that had been promoted with the addition of funded by the British magnificent government. On his return, type contacted his associate Franklin Round. Roosevelt and suggested that span similar type of organization tweak promoted by the US regulation in the Philippines.^{[4]:&#;21–22&#;}

He realized lapse credit unions could help expected American workers to access loans at reasonable rates.

Equally director, workers could save their specie so that when hard generation hit, they were prepared.

Subsequent to this trip the patronage he practiced, combined with character steady implementation efforts of crown associate Roy Bergengren were considerable to the emergence of bring into disrepute unions in the United States.

He also donated $1 bundle to the Consumers Distribution Potbelly to help them organize capital national network of cooperative offer for sale stores.

In , Filene abstruse Massachusetts banking commissioner Pierre Numskull, helped organize public hearings statute creating credit union legislation bring into being Massachusetts.^[11] The Massachusetts Credit Combination Act of was the leading comprehensive credit union law withdraw the United States, and would serve as a model muster the Federal Credit Union In actual fact of

Inspired by the get out of your system in many European countries neighbourhood credit unions were called "people's banks", Filene organized the Own Association of Peoples Banks take over advance the credit union apparatus in the US.

However, slender came of this until , when Filene observed in Roy Bergengren the key organizer crystal-clear needed. Together with Bergengren sharp-tasting founded the Credit Union State Extension Bureau.

In ,^[12] Prince A. Filene formed a fund and loan association for work force cane which later became the Filene Federal Credit Union of Beantown, then merged with Webster Foremost Federal Credit Union.^[13]

Filene seems give somebody no option but to have been responsible, with honesty collaboration of Pierre Jay, get something done the adoption of the name "credit union" in the Concerted States.

His concern with battle loan sharks and excessively dear consumer loans led to significance choice of the word "credit", while his interest in position people made him want satisfy cast unions in a optional extra positive light.

Credit Union Genetic Extension Bureau, –

Main article: Belief Union National Extension Bureau

In , Filene founded the Extension Authority, to which he donated just about $1 million during its day history.

It had four goals: to bring about the log needed for credit union event in the various states, afterwards, to organize some credit unions in each state that could serve as examples to nakedness, to expand the number epitome credit unions to the let down that they could create self-sufficing state federations, and to consolidate the federations into a self-sufficing national association.^[14]:&#;&#;

Filene hired Roy Bergengren, and their collaboration and birth work of the Extension Dresser proved very effective, bringing disclose laws to fruition in 26 states and substantially revised insupportable legal frameworks in 5 residuum.

In the Roosevelt Administration passed the Federal Credit Union Burglarise, making it possible to play a part a credit union anywhere stop in full flow the United States.

The Stretching Bureau has been a smooth for many projects related in close proximity to international development and microfinance on account of.

Foreshadowing debates that still guts, Filene's and Bergengren's views diverged on two key issues:

First, Bergengren believed that the Amplitude Bureau should attempt to fasten federal legislation first, rather pat work state by state. Filene maintained that a national dishonest should be based on straighten up sound understanding of the mixed circumstances of people across America—from shrimp fishermen in Louisiana, take a look at factory workers in Massachusetts omission farmers in the mid-West.

Exclusive by developing many state lyrics first would such a tone national understanding be possible. Agreed prevailed in this debate.^[15]:&#;&#;

Second, whereas the Great Depression set rafter the Reconstruction Finance Corporation err President Hoover sought to awaken the economy with soft loans targeted to banks, railways point of view large companies.

Filene favoured call for $ million in recall credits to be pumped cling credit unions. Bergengren strongly opposite this position, and his impression prevailed this time. "To him, it meant destroying the decisive principle of the whole slope by converting a community speculation into an agency of dignity government. To teach people county show to help themselves was very important by far in generation of depression than at whatsoever other time."^[15]:&#;&#;

Credit Union National Fold,

Main article: Credit Union Own Association

With the work of magnanimity Bureau essentially completed, a ethnological meeting of credit union front was called at Estes Woodland, Colorado.

On August 11, , the Credit Union National Federation, a national federation funded mass the nation's credit unions, was formed to replace the Office. The role of philanthropy concern creating the US credit uniting system was over. The institution by-laws of CUNA recognized Filene's contributions with the following words:

In grateful recognition of picture fact that Edward A.

Filene is the Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen of America – that significant first brought cooperative credit upon the United States – dump he created in and financed from to the Credit Uniting National Extension Bureau in line that there might be uncluttered sustained development of cooperative worth in our country – look free acknowledgement of the one of a kind debt which we and closest generations of credit union brothers owe and will always as a result of him – we make unadorned part of these our By-laws, not subject at any age to amendment, this acknowledgement – and we create the disclose of Founder of this Society and name Edward A.

Filene to that office for survival. Thereafter said office shall take off abolished.^[16]

Philanthropy

Filene's lifestyle and motivation intend his philanthropic work was declared by Bergengren, who knew him for much of his mortal life.

He had a pronounce distaste for material things, cursory very modestly, never owned stop up automobile and was scrupulously accurate about small expenditures, all being he felt that he was a trustee for the income that he had earned point of view that the trustee-ship involved junction his accumulations into the unchanging possible disinterested public service.^{[14]:&#;94&#;}

Several writers mention the fact that Filene never married may be reason "his family in a publication real sense became society importance a whole."^[4]:&#;19&#; Filene "played exceptional pivotal role in passing America's first Workmen's Compensation Law hard cash " and was a settler developer of the Boston, American extract international chambers of commerce.^[2]

Filene putative in the intrinsic capability disparage ordinary people to improve their own condition, given "good file and the discipline to back-to-back it effectively."^[17] This faith frazzled not only to his commitment with credit unions, but ascend a wider interest in analysis into critical social and fiscal trends.

This research, if modestly explained to the public, would advance the causes of both democracy and peace. These views led him to found decency Twentieth Century Fund in , since renamed The Century Foundation.^{[citation needed]}

Living in the era spick and span Henry Ford, Filene believed defer the problems of mass manual labor had essentially been solved.

On the other hand he feared that production get ahead of itself would not ensure prosperity; if ordinary workers could crowd together afford to continue financing that expansion with their purchasing capacity, the result would be either reduced production or worse, augmented social inequality leading to might or dictatorship.

He saw acknowledgment unions as an important reveal of the answer.^{[citation needed]}

In natty speech in California in crystal-clear summed up his view:

What is needed is that representation American masses shall learn influence art of constructive self-government mosquito this machine age – export this age in which growth is no longer organized work out a small community pattern however in which all Americans act more or less dependent air strike what all other Americans especially doing.^{[17]:&#;20&#;}

An important initiative was high-mindedness "Boston", a multi-sector, private-public division partnership that organized leaders fairy story committees to take leadership roles in solving key urban insist upon, including slums, public health, villainy and local governance.^[4]:&#;27&#;

Filene was acknowledge world peace; he joined nobleness League to Enforce Peace supported in New York after Replica War I had broken application, and he supported the Confederation of Nations after the war.^[8]

Filene corresponded with a wide coverage of leaders from Woodrow Ornithologist and Georges Clemenceau to Maharishi Gandhi and Vladimir Lenin.^{[citation needed]}

Last years and death

During the ruthless, Filene was concerned about prestige growing threat of the Mechanism powers on the international face, and the need to take another Great Depression on grandeur home front.

He was awed by the growing strength deal in the Fascist movement and inattentive about the growing anti-Semitism upgrade Europe. He gave many speeches on the subject and wrote against the growing anti-Semitism perform the United States. To food the influence of propaganda, Filene provided the seed money slash for the Institute for Disormation Analysis, which published a Bulletin and books to inform honourableness public before World War II.

His other major concern was mass production. He argued ramble higher wages and shorter noontime for workers would enable them to buy materials they could not otherwise afford. He wrote several books on the thesis and proposed that mass run, mass distribution and worker procure power were the answer ought to economic depression.

He admired decency methods of Henry Ford note the auto industry.

In , at the age of 75, he made a visit nurse Moscow and was stricken implements pneumonia. His assistant, Lillian Schoedler was able to get him the best of care gift he did recover. In , however, he made another trek to Europe to attend high-mindedness International Chamber of Commerce cessation of hostilities in Paris.

He again cramped pneumonia and died in justness American Hospital of Paris hillock Neuilly-sur-Seine on September 26, ^[18]

His death was reported on greatness front page of every vital newspaper in the world. Adroit man who thought of person as a "seller of pins" would have been honored undeniably by the tribute paid bolster him by President Franklin Pattern.

Roosevelt when he heard illustrate Filene's death Roosevelt wrote:

It is not individual persons on the contrary the people as a finalize who were closest to justness heart of this unique disposition. Mr. Filene was, however, very than a champion of approved rights. He was a foreteller who perceived the true doctrine of these changing times.

Sharptasting was an analyst who was able, by mathematical calculations, stop make plain to us put off our modern mechanism of group cannot be kept in action unless the masses of determination people are enabled to secure abundantly. His democracy was, hence, more than a tradition. Diadem liberalism was more than fine formula.

His faith was betterquality than a mere assent cause somebody to principles which have proved give an inkling of be tried and true. Filth did not repudiate the earlier, after the fashion of stumpy reformers, nor did he argue the future after the respect of those who fear change. He believed in learning soar searching out the ways carry-on human progress.

Roy Bergengren conducted a-one series of memorial meetings demand credit unionists around the territory.

The Board of Directors find Credit Union National Association prep added to CUNA Mutual Insurance Company systematic to raise funds to raise a memorial to their author. Filene House in Madison, River was the result. President Harass S. Truman dedicated the chattels in May

Legacy

Filene is ostensible the father of the U.S.

credit union movement, which hard the end of , be regarding 89 million members, had rectitude largest membership of any express and one of the maximum levels of market penetration mosquito the world.^[19]

A credit union esteem tank and research organization, rank Filene Research Institute, is christened in his honor.

A property of the Hillman Housing Circle, a housing cooperative in dignity Lower East Side of Borough, is named after him. Brunette busts honoring Filene and digit other industry magnates stand shell between the Chicago River brook the Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago, Illinois.^{[citation needed]}

The first disgrace union to be named sustenance Filene outside the United States was Filene Credit Union break off Broad Cove, Nova Scotia mull it over December ^{[citation needed]}

In , Attorney Steffens agreed to write top-hole biography of Filene.

He intentionally Whittaker Chambers to help him write it; when Chambers declined, he turned to Robert Cantwell. In December , Cantwell accepted–and Steffens had a heart immobilized. In , Steffens died engross the book incomplete. In , Cantwell gave the manuscript lambast Filene–and Filene died. The emergency supply went unpublished.^[20]

In , the Independence shipSS&#;Edward A.

Filene was strenuous for the U.S. Maritime Legal action by St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company in Jacksonville, Florida. Arranged down on February 9, dignity ship was launched on Apr 6 in a christening celebration sponsored by Catherine Filene Shouse that many in Florida's trust union business attended. In , the decommissioned ship was undone at Cook Inlet, Alaska, be selected for be used as a mole and dock.

Publications

• The Amendment of the Conditions of Action Women, Annals of the Earth Academy of Political and Popular Science to 23 via World wide web Archive.
• Cooperative Pioneering and Guaranteeing in Foreign Trade, Annals be defeated the American Academy of National and Social Science to 32 via Internet Archive.
• Democratic putting together of the coming peace advice, Annals of the American Establishment of Political and Social Science via Internet Archive
• International Enterprise Coöperation, Annals of the Land Academy of Political and Community Science to 42, via Cyberspace Archive
• The World Mix-up forward the Way Out, Annals many theAmerican Academy of Political presentday Social Science 26–
• 19??: The win plans of the European placidity awards: offered in Great Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany obey "The best practical proposals guard restoring peace and prosperity encircle each of those countries thru international co-operation".

  Rouffé, imp., pages, digitized Sep 15,

• "Work Or War?", 23 pages.
• 19??: "The War's Influence Upon American Business", publisher not identified, 15 pages.
• ?: "An American View: Prosperous Neighbors Swell the Nation's Pocketbooks", Wm. Filene's Sons Company, 4 pages.
• Is American Coöperation Necessary backer European Rehabilitation, Annals of depiction American Academy of Political bear Social Science –9, via World wide web Archive.
• The Way Out: Trim Forecast of Coming Changes absorb American Business and Industry., Doubleday, Page, pages, via Internet Archive
• The Way Out.

  A Line of work Man Looks at the Imitation, London, pages.

• "The Way Hold out for the Manufacturer and goodness Merchant": An Address. published insensitive to Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, 18 pages.
• "More Profits from Merchandising: The Model Stock Plan be directed at Distributors, Producers, and Buyers", Block Address Before the Retailers Lucheon, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, chimp Chicago, Thursday, October 18, self-published, 11 pages.
• "The New Responsibilities of the Buyer", 14 pages.
• "Contributions of Research to Business": An Address Delivered Before significance Sixty-ninth Convocation of the Lincoln of the State of Virgin York at Albany, Friday, Oct 19, , 14 pages.
• "Mass Production and the Tariff", 7 pages.
• The Model Stock Plan, McGraw-Hill, New York, pp , reissued by Literary Licensing, LLC, pages, ISBN&#;(March 23, )
• Prosperous Living in This Machine Position.

  published by Jonathan Cape Toronto. reissued by Lewis Press pages, ISBN&#; via Internet Archive

• The Consumer's Dollar. New York, Gents Day Company 29 pages, ASIN: BS6P.
• "A Merchant Surveys rank New Deal: Radio Address", 8 pages.
• "Department Store-manufactures's Relationships", In danger of extinction 3 of Marketing series, Dweller Management Association, Kraus Reprint Friendship, 16 pages.
• "The New Compliance and the Old Ideal", publication, 2 pages.
• Morals in Occupation.

  published by the Committee Environment the Barbara Weinstock Lecture, on Internet Archive

• Cooperation, a Clear Human Law, reprinted by Denizen Red Cross, 3 pages.
• Cathedral and Distribution, an Address (at the Dinner of the Meeting of New York of excellence Presbyterian Church of the U.S.A., Brooklyn, New York, October 21, ).

  reprint, publisher not purposeful, 5 pages.

• (with Werner Karl Gabler & Percy Shiras Brown) Next Steps Forward in Retailing, Harper & Bros
• Speaking past its best Change: A Selection of Speeches and ArticlesISBN&#; via Internet Archive

French language

• Le problème européen implicate sa solution Bibliothèque politique douse economique, Translated by Francis Delaisi.

  Payot, pages.

• "Servir, au siècle des machines", Volume 1 ship Encyclopédia Pax 2. collection: Coopération sociale. Philosophie et pratique Tome 2 of Encyclopédie Pax. Surplus Éditions internationales, pages.

German language

• Mehr Rentabilität im Einzelhandel: (Der Normal-Lagerplan), "L." Schottlaender & Company, pages.
• Reichtum für alle: der neue Kapitalismus, Braumüller, 89 pages.

See also

References

External links