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==Background==
==Background==


Selber was a son of a [[Jewish]] couple, Aaron R. Selber Sr. (1896–1968), a native of [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=59420789|title=Aaron Rosenbaum Selber Sr.|publisher=''[[The Times (Shreveport)|The Shreveport Times]]'', May 22, 1968, p. 2|accessdate=August 14, 2013}}</ref> and the former Frances Dreyfuss (1900–2000). While growing up during the [[Great Depression]], Selber developed his [[work ethic]] early, delivering the since defunct ''[[Shreveport Journal]]'' newspaper, selling the ''[[Saturday Evening Post]]'', and servicing [[vending machine]]s while attending elementary and junior high school at the private Southfield School and high school at the public [[C. E. Byrd High School|C. E. Byrd]], both in his native Shreveport.<ref name=aaronandpeggy>{{cite web|url=http://www.myneworleans.com/My-New-Orleans/January-2012/Peggy-Aaron-Selber/|title=Peggy & Aaron Selber: "I will teach the next generation about giving back", January 2012|publisher=My New Orleans.com|accessdate=August 14, 2013}}</ref> Selber graduated from Southfield School in 1940, one of the first graduates of the institution located at 1100 Southfield Road; in 2011, he was inducted into the Southfield Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://southfield-school.org/alumni/hall-of-fame|title=Southfield Hall of Fame|publisher=southfield-school.org|accessdate=August 15, 2013}}</ref>
Selber was a son of a [[Jewish]] couple, Aaron R. Selber Sr. (1896–1968), a native of [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=59420789|title=Aaron Rosenbaum Selber Sr.|publisher=''[[The Times (Shreveport)|The Shreveport Times]]'', May 22, 1968, p. 2|accessdate=August 14, 2013}}</ref> and the former Frances Dreyfuss (1900–2000). While growing up during the [[Great Depression]], Selber developed his [[work ethic]] early, delivering the since defunct ''[[Shreveport Journal]]'' newspaper, selling the ''[[Saturday Evening Post]]'', and servicing [[vending machine]]s while attending elementary and junior high school at the private Southfield School and high school at the public [[C. E. Byrd High School|C. E. Byrd]], both in his native Shreveport.<ref name=aaronandpeggy>{{cite web|url=http://www.myneworleans.com/My-New-Orleans/January-2012/Peggy-Aaron-Selber/|title=Peggy & Aaron Selber: "I will teach the next generation about giving back", January 2012|publisher=My New Orleans.com|accessdate=August 14, 2013}}</ref> Selber graduated from Southfield School in 1940, one of the first graduates of the institution located at 1100 Southfield Road; in 2011, he was inducted into the Southfield Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://southfield-school.org/alumni/hall-of-fame |title=Southfield Hall of Fame |publisher=southfield-school.org |accessdate=August 15, 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131207021859/http://southfield-school.org/alumni/hall-of-fame |archivedate=December 7, 2013 }}</ref>


Selber enrolled at [[Tulane University]] in [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]] for one year before he joined the [[United States Army Air Forces]], in which he obtained gained top secret clearance in the electronics section of the [[Strategic Air Command]]. After his military duty, Selber attended the School of Retailing at [[Washington University in St. Louis|Washington University]] in [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]], [[Missouri]]. He then returned to Tulane where he graduated in 1950 with a [[Bachelor of Business Administration]] degree.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/shreveporttimes/obituary.aspx?n=aaron-selber&pid=166413338&fhid=10218#sthash.uNalGk8p.dpbs|title=Aaron Selber|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|accessdate=August 14, 2013}}</ref> He was subsequently inducted into the [[Paul Tulane|Paul Tulane Society]].<ref name=selberdeath/>
Selber enrolled at [[Tulane University]] in [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]] for one year before he joined the [[United States Army Air Forces]], in which he obtained gained top secret clearance in the electronics section of the [[Strategic Air Command]]. After his military duty, Selber attended the School of Retailing at [[Washington University in St. Louis|Washington University]] in [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]], [[Missouri]]. He then returned to Tulane where he graduated in 1950 with a [[Bachelor of Business Administration]] degree.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/shreveporttimes/obituary.aspx?n=aaron-selber&pid=166413338&fhid=10218#sthash.uNalGk8p.dpbs|title=Aaron Selber|publisher=''The Shreveport Times''|accessdate=August 14, 2013}}</ref> He was subsequently inducted into the [[Paul Tulane|Paul Tulane Society]].<ref name=selberdeath/>
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Following the sale in 1988 of Selber Bros. to [[Dillard's|Dillard's Department Stores]], Aaron Selber Jr. became for the remainder of his life an investor: "Cash rather than merchandise became my inventory." Selbert attributed his optimistic business philosophy to the influence upon him from his father, his father-in-law William Burkenroad, and Jacob Aron, Burkenroad's business partner in [[New York City]]. The senior Aaron Selber had limited higher, having attended a business college, but he possessed an uncanny grasp of human nature.<ref name=bio/> Billy Burkenroad made his fortune in the [[coffee]] business with Jacob Aron, and like the Selbers was a generous philanthropist. In 1978, Burkenroad switched the focus entirely of the J. Aron Company from years of coffee importation to the trading of commodities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crt.state.la.us/museum/online_exhibits/Coffee_Trade/4.aspx|title=.J Aron and Company: The Role of the Coffee Importer|publisher=crt.state.la.us|accessdate=August 14, 2013}}</ref>
Following the sale in 1988 of Selber Bros. to [[Dillard's|Dillard's Department Stores]], Aaron Selber Jr. became for the remainder of his life an investor: "Cash rather than merchandise became my inventory." Selbert attributed his optimistic business philosophy to the influence upon him from his father, his father-in-law William Burkenroad, and Jacob Aron, Burkenroad's business partner in [[New York City]]. The senior Aaron Selber had limited higher, having attended a business college, but he possessed an uncanny grasp of human nature.<ref name=bio/> Billy Burkenroad made his fortune in the [[coffee]] business with Jacob Aron, and like the Selbers was a generous philanthropist. In 1978, Burkenroad switched the focus entirely of the J. Aron Company from years of coffee importation to the trading of commodities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crt.state.la.us/museum/online_exhibits/Coffee_Trade/4.aspx|title=.J Aron and Company: The Role of the Coffee Importer|publisher=crt.state.la.us|accessdate=August 14, 2013}}</ref>


Selber was a member of the National Retail Merchants and the Specialty Retail Stores associations.<ref name=selberdeath>{{cite web|url=http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20130813/NEWS01/130813034/Shreveport-businessman-philanthropist-Aaron-Selber-Jr-dies-85|title=Shreveport businessman, philanthropist Aaron Selber Jr. dies at 85, August 13, 2013|publisher=''Shreveport Times''|accessdate=August 15, 2013}}</ref> Aaron Selber, with his wife Peggy, was a large donor to many [[nonprofit organization]]s in both Shreveport and New Orleans. They established the Aaron or Peggy Selber Foundation in Shreveport<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.faqs.org/tax-exempt/LA/Aaron-Or-Peggy-Selber-Foundation-Inc.html|title=Aaron or Peggy Selber Foundation, Inc., in Shreveport, Louisiana|publisher=faqs.org|accessdate=August 15, 2013}}</ref> and the Aaron and Peggy Selber Family Donor Advised Fund within the New Orleans Community Foundation.<ref name=bio/> Selber was a former chairman of the board of the [[Blue Cross Blue Shield Association]] of Louisiana. He was a director of Commercial National Bank at 333 Texas Avenue in Shreveport<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eunicetoday.com/view/full_story/23364391/article-Deaths-Elsewhere?instance=secondary_sports_left_column|title=Deaths elsewhere: Aaron Selber Jr.|publisher=''Eunice Today''|accessdate=August 15, 2013}}</ref> and a president of the Shreveport [[Junior Chamber International|Jaycees]] and later the [[Chamber of Commerce]]. He was president of his alma mater, Southfield School, [[Goodwill Industries]], and the Holiday in Dixie spring festival. He was a board member of [[Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport]], the Norwela Council of [[Boy Scouts of America]], the [[American Red Cross]], the Louisiana State Fair, [[YMCA]], [[United Way of America|United Way]], and the [[college football]] post-[[Christmas]] [[AdvoCare V100 Bowl|Independence Bowl]],<ref name=bio/>The Selbers were members of the B'nai Zion Congregation.<ref name=peggyobit/>
Selber was a member of the National Retail Merchants and the Specialty Retail Stores associations.<ref name=selberdeath>{{cite web|url=http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20130813/NEWS01/130813034/Shreveport-businessman-philanthropist-Aaron-Selber-Jr-dies-85|title=Shreveport businessman, philanthropist Aaron Selber Jr. dies at 85, August 13, 2013|publisher=''Shreveport Times''|accessdate=August 15, 2013}}</ref> Aaron Selber, with his wife Peggy, was a large donor to many [[nonprofit organization]]s in both Shreveport and New Orleans. They established the Aaron or Peggy Selber Foundation in Shreveport<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.faqs.org/tax-exempt/LA/Aaron-Or-Peggy-Selber-Foundation-Inc.html|title=Aaron or Peggy Selber Foundation, Inc., in Shreveport, Louisiana|publisher=faqs.org|accessdate=August 15, 2013}}</ref> and the Aaron and Peggy Selber Family Donor Advised Fund within the New Orleans Community Foundation.<ref name=bio/> Selber was a former chairman of the board of the [[Blue Cross Blue Shield Association]] of Louisiana. He was a director of Commercial National Bank at 333 Texas Avenue in Shreveport<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eunicetoday.com/view/full_story/23364391/article-Deaths-Elsewhere?instance=secondary_sports_left_column |title=Deaths elsewhere: Aaron Selber Jr. |publisher=''Eunice Today'' |accessdate=August 15, 2013 }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and a president of the Shreveport [[Junior Chamber International|Jaycees]] and later the [[Chamber of Commerce]]. He was president of his alma mater, Southfield School, [[Goodwill Industries]], and the Holiday in Dixie spring festival. He was a board member of [[Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport]], the Norwela Council of [[Boy Scouts of America]], the [[American Red Cross]], the Louisiana State Fair, [[YMCA]], [[United Way of America|United Way]], and the [[college football]] post-[[Christmas]] [[AdvoCare V100 Bowl|Independence Bowl]],<ref name=bio/>The Selbers were members of the B'nai Zion Congregation.<ref name=peggyobit/>


==Death and family==
==Death and family==

Revision as of 21:02, 24 June 2017

Aaron Selber Jr.
Personal details
Born
Aaron Rosenbaum Selber Jr.

(1927-12-13)December 13, 1927
Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana, USA
DiedAugust 13, 2013(2013-08-13) (aged 85)
Resting placeForest Park Cemetery in Shreveport
SpousePeggy Burkenroad Selber (married c.1952-2013, his death)
Children
  • Patty Selber Newton
  • Pam Selber
  • Polly Selber Gleichenhaus
  • Penny Selber Autenreith
  • Seven grandchildren
Alma mater
OccupationBusinessman; Philanthropist
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army Air Forces Strategic Air Command
Battles/warsWorld War II

Live your life in a wonderful way! - motto of Aaron Selber Jr.

Aaron Rosenbaum Selber Jr. (December 13, 1927 – August 13, 2013), was an American businessman, the last president of the former Selber Bros. department store chain, and a philanthropist from Shreveport, the largest city in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana.

Background

Selber was a son of a Jewish couple, Aaron R. Selber Sr. (1896–1968), a native of Baton Rouge,[1] and the former Frances Dreyfuss (1900–2000). While growing up during the Great Depression, Selber developed his work ethic early, delivering the since defunct Shreveport Journal newspaper, selling the Saturday Evening Post, and servicing vending machines while attending elementary and junior high school at the private Southfield School and high school at the public C. E. Byrd, both in his native Shreveport.[2] Selber graduated from Southfield School in 1940, one of the first graduates of the institution located at 1100 Southfield Road; in 2011, he was inducted into the Southfield Hall of Fame.[3]

Selber enrolled at Tulane University in New Orleans for one year before he joined the United States Army Air Forces, in which he obtained gained top secret clearance in the electronics section of the Strategic Air Command. After his military duty, Selber attended the School of Retailing at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He then returned to Tulane where he graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.[4] He was subsequently inducted into the Paul Tulane Society.[5]

At Tulane, Selber met his future wife, the former Peggy Burkenroad (September 13, 1931 – September 27, 2014). She was a New Orleans native, a daughter of Evelyn Kahn Levy and William B. Burkenroad Jr. (c. 1903–1995), and a graduate of the National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C. She attended H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College, the former sister institution to Tulane, and Centenary College in Shreveport. She was a board member of the Meadows Museum of Art at Centenary and the Sci-Port Discovery Center in Shreveport. Like her husband, Peggy Selber was a generous philanthropist, an artist, and a golfer who won multiple championships.[2][6]

Career

Selber returned to Shreveport to work in the family retail clothing business. Under his leadership as the company president, Selber Bros. became a regional department store chain with outlets in Louisiana and Texas. The first store was established in 1907 at 227 Texas Avenue in downtown Shreveport by Selber's grandfather, Charles Selber (born c. 1865 in Poland). In addition to Aaron Sr., there were three other Selber brothers, the uncles of Aaron Selber Jr. – Isadore Selber (1887–1944), Louis Selber (1889–1968),[7] and Mandel Charles Selber Sr. (1900–1967)[8] Hence three of the four Selber Brothers died in the nine-month period between December 1967 and August 1968.

Following the sale in 1988 of Selber Bros. to Dillard's Department Stores, Aaron Selber Jr. became for the remainder of his life an investor: "Cash rather than merchandise became my inventory." Selbert attributed his optimistic business philosophy to the influence upon him from his father, his father-in-law William Burkenroad, and Jacob Aron, Burkenroad's business partner in New York City. The senior Aaron Selber had limited higher, having attended a business college, but he possessed an uncanny grasp of human nature.[4] Billy Burkenroad made his fortune in the coffee business with Jacob Aron, and like the Selbers was a generous philanthropist. In 1978, Burkenroad switched the focus entirely of the J. Aron Company from years of coffee importation to the trading of commodities.[9]

Selber was a member of the National Retail Merchants and the Specialty Retail Stores associations.[5] Aaron Selber, with his wife Peggy, was a large donor to many nonprofit organizations in both Shreveport and New Orleans. They established the Aaron or Peggy Selber Foundation in Shreveport[10] and the Aaron and Peggy Selber Family Donor Advised Fund within the New Orleans Community Foundation.[4] Selber was a former chairman of the board of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association of Louisiana. He was a director of Commercial National Bank at 333 Texas Avenue in Shreveport[11] and a president of the Shreveport Jaycees and later the Chamber of Commerce. He was president of his alma mater, Southfield School, Goodwill Industries, and the Holiday in Dixie spring festival. He was a board member of Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, the Norwela Council of Boy Scouts of America, the American Red Cross, the Louisiana State Fair, YMCA, United Way, and the college football post-Christmas Independence Bowl,[4]The Selbers were members of the B'nai Zion Congregation.[6]

Death and family

Selber died in 2013 at the age of eighty-five at his Shreveport home of congestive heart failure. His motto was "Live your life in a wonderful way!"[4] He was a member of the B'nai Zion Congregation in Shreveport.[5] There are four Selber daughters, Patty Selber Newton and husband Carl of Baton Rouge, Pam Selber of Newport Beach, California, Polly Selber Gleichenhaus and husband Barry of Denver, Colorado, and Penny Selber Autenreith and husband Robert of New Orleans.[6] Horace Ladymon, owner of the former Beall-Ladymon Corporation, was among Selber's honorary pallbearers.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Aaron Rosenbaum Selber Sr". The Shreveport Times, May 22, 1968, p. 2. Retrieved August 14, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ a b "Peggy & Aaron Selber: "I will teach the next generation about giving back", January 2012". My New Orleans.com. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  3. ^ "Southfield Hall of Fame". southfield-school.org. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved August 15, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Aaron Selber". The Shreveport Times. Retrieved August 14, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b c "Shreveport businessman, philanthropist Aaron Selber Jr. dies at 85, August 13, 2013". Shreveport Times. Retrieved August 15, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ a b c "Peggy Selber". The Shreveport Times. Retrieved September 28, 2014. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ "Louis Selber". findagrave.com. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  8. ^ Shreveport Times, December 9, 1967, p. 4-A
  9. ^ ".J Aron and Company: The Role of the Coffee Importer". crt.state.la.us. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  10. ^ "Aaron or Peggy Selber Foundation, Inc., in Shreveport, Louisiana". faqs.org. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  11. ^ "Deaths elsewhere: Aaron Selber Jr". Eunice Today. Retrieved August 15, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)[permanent dead link]
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