| | Manuscript Collection | Requires cookie* | | 1 | Title: | Max Ratner Papers
| | | | Creator: | Ratner, Max | | | | Dates: | 1959-1985 | | | | Abstract: | Max Ratner was a Cleveland, Ohio, businessman, philanthropist, and Zionist. He was born Meyer Ratowczer in Bialystok, Belarus, Russia, and immigrated with his family to the United States, arriving in Cleveland in 1921. The family changed its name to Ratner. After graduation from Glenville High School in 1925, he went to work at the family-owned business, Forest City Materials Company, a supplier of lumber and building materials. He became president of Forest City Materials in 1928, and in 1929, directed its merger with Buckeye Material. By the 1950s, Forest City profited from the suburban building boom, and by the end of that decade was one of Ohio's largest retail building materials companies. In 1960, Forest City Materials became Forest City Enterprises, Inc. and began concentrating on real estate development, ending its retail operations in 1987. Since the 1970s it has been involved in large urban developments such as Tower City Center in Cleveland. Max Ratner was active in Zionist activities, was a founder of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce, served as president of Park Synagogue, and along with other family members, supported the Ratner Montessori Schools. The collection consists of photostatic copies from business publications and newspapers, an annual report of Forest City Enterprises, art catalogues, a publication by and about former residents of Bialystok, Russia, and a Ratner Schools brochure. | | | | Call #: | MS 4623 | | | | Extent: | 0.10 linear feet (1 container) | | | | Subjects: | Ratner, Max, 1907-1995. | Ratner family. | Forest City Enterprises, Inc. | Ratner Schools. | Jews -- Ohio -- Cleveland. | Jewish businesspeople -- Ohio -- Cleveland. | Philanthropists -- Ohio -- Cleveland. | Jews, Russian -- History.
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| Manuscript Collection | Requires cookie* | | 2 | Title: | Albert Ratner Papers
| | | | Creator: | Gift of Albert Ratner | | | | Dates: | 1929-2017 | | | | Abstract: | Albert B. Ratner, was born in Cleveland in 1927. Albert married Faye Katz (1931-1978) in 1950 and had two children, Deborah Ratner (b. 1959) and Brian Ratner (b. 1957). Faye was killed in an automobile accident in 1978. Albert later married Audrey Gilbert Pritzker (b. 1928) in 1981. In the 1950s, Albert joined the family business, Forest City Materials, which had been established as a lumber and building materials company back in the 1920s. He continued to serve in numerous positions at Forest City until the company was purchased by Brookfield Asset Management in 2018. Albert has served on the governing boards of numerous local, state, and international business and cultural organizations. His community involvement and philanthropic activities have been widely recognized by organizations and agencies such as Builders Magazine, the Business Hall of Fame of Cleveland, Financial World Magazine, Harvard Business Club, the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Albert Ratner Papers collection consists of an album, articles, awards, books, CDs, certificates, a checkbook, correspondence, eulogies, greeting cards, letters, magazines, newspapers, newspaper clippings, notes, an obituary, photographs, programs, a report, a resume, a songbook, speeches, and tapes. | | | | Call #: | MS 5442 | | | | Extent: | 2.6 linear feet (4 boxes) | | | | Subjects: | Ratner, Albert B., 1927- | Ratner family | Jewish businesspeople -- Ohio -- Cleveland | Jews -- Ohio -- Cleveland | Philanthropists -- Ohio -- Cleveland | Forest City Enterprises, Inc.
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