Samuel N. Cohen

Samuel N. Cohen, CM, LL.D., (July 9, 1919 – July 28, 1988) was a Canadian entrepreneur, community builder, philanthropist, and Member of the Order of Canada.^[1] Married to the late Leatrice Cohen (née Diamond), he is survived by his two sons (Charles and Mark); and his daughter Sheri.^[2]

Biography

He was born in 1919 to Alexander Cohen and Rose Diamond.

Sam's five brothers, John, Albert D. Cohen, Morley Cohen, Harry B. Cohen, and Joseph H. Cohen, set up a small retail store and, by 1939, the family had scraped together enough monies to create General Distributors Ltd., a wholesale import firm.

Sony and the Cohen Brothers

Cohen Brothers of Canada

By 1950, General Distributors sales amounted to $1 million. In the early Fifties, the company obtained exclusive Canadian rights for Paper Mate pens. Then, in 1955, brother Albert D. Cohen accomplished the most amazing feat of landing the Canadian distribution rights to Sony products. Spotting an ad in a Japanese newspaper seeking a distributor for a new portable transistor radio, Albert met with Sony co-founder, Akio Morita. On the basis of a handshake deal, Albert cemented a partnership that would last for decades. The Cohen brothers scattered across Canada in order to manage the national business, each brother establishing himself in a major city: Morley (Montreal), John (Toronto), Joe (Vancouver), Harry (Calgary), and both Sam and Albert setting up headquarters (Winnipeg).

SAAN, Metropolitan, real estate, and the Cohen Brothers

The six brothers expanded into real estate and retailing. Over the years, they established several hundred SAAN Stores and Metropolitan junior department stores in all provinces of Canada. The explosive growth of the SAAN Stores chain was guided by Samuel N. Cohen while Metropolitan's expansion was overseen by Morley Cohen. At one point, it is said the Cohen brothers owned downtown real estate in almost every major Canadian city. By 1983, the company was a diversified Canadian conglomerate, renamed Gendis.

Oil & Gas, and the Cohen Brothers

Under the guidance of Albert D. Cohen, the six brothers participated in various joint ventures and/or owned several minority interests in oil & gas exploration, development, and distribution. The companies included Tripet Resources; Chauvco Resources; Pioneer Natural Resources; Fort Chicago Energy Partners L.P.; and Tundra Oil & Gas.

Philanthropy

Samuel Cohen was considered to be one of the major community builders/philanthropists in Winnipeg.

Several of his notable accomplishments include:

• Former Chairman, United Jewish Appeal
• Founding Director, Manitoba Centennial Centre Corporation
• Honorary Chairman, St. Boniface General Hospital (Winnipeg) Research Foundation
• Creator, St. Boniface General Hospital (Winnipeg) International Award (1976) ^[3]

Awards

• Fellow of Bar-Ilan University, 1964
• Samuel N. Cohen Auditorium and Atrium at the St. Boniface General Hospital (Winnipeg)
• Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal, 1977 ^[4]
• Order of Canada (1978) ^[5]
• Honorary Doctorate, University of Manitoba (1979) ^[6]
• Israel Peace Medal (1983)

Sources

• "St. Boniface General Hospital International Award, 1976".
• "Samuel N. Cohen Auditorium and Atrium (St. Boniface General Hospital and Research Centre)".
• "The Acquisitors, the Canadian Establishment, by Peter C. Newman, 1981, McClelland and Stewart (Toronto, Ont)".
• "The Entrepreneurs, the Story of Gendis, by Albert D. Cohen, 1985, McClelland and Stewart (Toronto, Ont)".

References

1. "Manitoba Historical Society".
2. "Community Mourns Passing of Samuel Nathan Cohen, Jewish Post & News, 1988".
3. "If Sam Cohen Wants You, He Gets You, Montreal Gazette, 1980".
4. "Manitoba Historical Society".
5. "Governor General of Canada - Archives".
6. "University of Manitoba - Honorary Degree Recipients".