Philanthropist Betty Schoenbaum turns 100
It would be hard to come up with a number for Betty, because over the course of a generous lifetime she has touched more lives than we can possibly count. Whether it is through the thousands of scholarships she has given, the work of the
In 1917, just to set the scene, automobiles were beginning to roll off the assembly lines, Boeing flew its first aircraft, the average price of a new home was
The world looked very different from today.
"When you think about it, more happened in those 100 years than in any other 100 years in the history of the world," Schoenbaum says. "The industrialization of the world, the computer age, even landing on the moon ... It was just amazing."
Schoenbaum says she was blessed with parents who lived for their children first. "It was the most important thing in my life, knowing that I counted and that they cared."
Above all else, young Betty loved dancing. "I started dancing ballet when I was 3 years old, but I wasn't allowed to study tap until I was 8. I studied for 15 years, until I was 18. I was in all the school productions all the way through high school," she says. While debating was fun, her goal was to be a dancer. "When I got to high school I got taller, up to 5 foot, 8 1/2 inches. I was tall enough to be the center on the girls' basketball team, but was too tall to be a dancer in a chorus line, and that was my real ambition in those days.
"There were no Rockettes back then," she says. But
Betty's life took a new course when she decided to attend
While she never did get her degree there, "I did get my Mrs. there. I became Mrs.
Just the beginning
Betty met
She was on her way to the
"I saw a man standing on the mezzanine. He was a big, handsome fellow and he looked like he knew what was going on. I went over to him and asked him if he could show me the way to the fraternity party. That was just the beginning.
"By the time of homecoming of my junior year, he had given me a fraternity ring. In the spring, he gave me a black onyx ring, which, back then, just coming out of the Great Depression, was what men did when they couldn't afford a diamond. We were engaged," she says.
After they were married, and
"On the corner across from the bowling alley was an empty lot and
While
"I got married at 22, and had my first child, Raymond, at age 28, as soon as the war was over. Fourteen months later, I had another son, Jeffry, who is now 70. I knew I wanted three children. I tried until I was 38, and had my first daughter, Joann, at the age of 39." Their last child, Emily, was born when Betty was 49.
In all, today,
Philanthropic debut
Schoenbaum moved into her downtown penthouse shortly after her husband passed away, and became involved in the philanthropy for which she is so well-known.
"I was not a businesswoman," she says, "I had no real business experience. Anytime I wanted to give money away, though, Alex never objected to what I gave, which I deeply appreciated. But it was always Alex who gave the big money or else he would raise it for them."
For example, there was the
"That money was to set up a pension plan for the people working at
"When people would ask him why a nice Jewish boy was doing this for a Christian organization, Alex would tell them, 'We are all descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We are all brothers. When my brother is in need, no matter his religion, race or creed, the
Then there was the
"Kay told him she had the land from the city for
There is so much more, including the
Special joy
But there is another part of her philanthropy that brings
The results of these scholarships -- the stories of the lives that have been touched -- can be found on shelves in her home office that are filled with countless binders and scrapbooks jam-packed with thank-you letters and photographs from the beneficiaries of her generosity.
"It is such a wonderful feeling to help all of these deserving people," she says. "I tell people all the time that I am just going to burst with joy one day."
She also encourages other people to give. "I tell them there are no luggage racks on the hearse. You can't take it with you. Don't wait until you die to give. Give when you live. That way, you have the joy of seeing what you have accomplished with your money.
"God allowing me to live this long -- what a gift. What a gift. I am so fortunate. I have had such a beautiful life. It has been joy beyond description."
___
(c)2017 Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Fla.
Visit Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Fla. at www.heraldtribune.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Find revenue instead of making cuts
Complex Disease Detector and ColorADD winners of the Social Innovation Tournament 2017
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News