Mortimer L. Schiff
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Mortimer Loeb Schiff (June 5, 1877 – June 4, 1931), sometimes Mortimer Leo Schiff, was an American banker and notable early
Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded ...
(BSA)
leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...
. His son, John Mortimer Schiff, was also involved with the BSA. He was also the father of Dorothy Schiff, who was the owner and publisher of the ''
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'' from 1939 to 1976.


Life and career

Mortimer Loeb Schiff was born on June 5, 1877, the only son of the German Jewish American banker and philanthropist
Jacob Schiff Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Ja ...
and his wife, Therese (née Loeb). He entered Amherst College in the class of 1896, though he did not graduate; he was likely the first Jewish student ever to attend there. While he worked as a partner in the financial firm of Kuhn, Loeb & Co. from 1900 until his death in 1931, he also devoted much of his time to the development of scouting in America. He was a member of the
World Scout Committee The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest international Scouting organization. WOSM has 173 members. These members are recognized national Scout organizations, which collectively have around 43 million participants. WOSM ...
of the
World Organization of the Scout Movement The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest international Scouting organization. WOSM has 173 members. These members are recognized national Scout organizations, which collectively have around 43 million participants. WOSM ...
and the Nassau County (now Theodore Roosevelt) Council Executive Board. After a long tenure as vice-president of the BSA beginning in 1910, during which he also appeared on the cover of ''
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'' on February 14, 1927, he was elected
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
of the organization in 1931. However, his untimely death came only one month later on June 4, 1931. He had also been serving as the BSA's International Commissioner for several years.


Legacy

The property for the Mortimer L. Schiff Scout Reservation was subsequently purchased by his mother, named in his honor, and donated to the BSA for their national training center. Schiff's son, John M. Schiff, in 1961 was the 27th person worldwide to be awarded the
Bronze Wolf The Bronze Wolf Award is bestowed by the World Scout Committee (WSC) to acknowledge "outstanding service by an individual to the World Scout Movement". It is the highest honor that can be given a volunteer Scout leader in the world and it is the ...
, the only distinction of the
World Organization of the Scout Movement The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM ) is the largest international Scouting organization. WOSM has 173 members. These members are recognized national Scout organizations, which collectively have around 43 million participants. WOSM ...
, granted by the World Scout Committee for exceptional services to world Scouting. The Bronze Wolf award was first initiated in 1935 and given to Lord Baden-Powell, four years after the death of Mortimer Schiff.


Personal life

Schiff was married to Adele Neustadt. They had two children: his daughter, Dorothy Schiff (March 11, 1903 – August 30, 1989) was an owner and then publisher of the ''
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'' for nearly 40 years. Both Mortimer and his son, John M. Schiff, received
Silver Buffalo Award The Silver Buffalo Award is the national-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. It is presented for noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth on a national basis, either as part of, or independent of the Scouting pro ...
s from the BSA.


See also

* John M. Schiff Scout Reservation


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schiff, Mortimer L. 1877 births 1931 deaths Jewish American bankers Loeb family Recipients of the Bronze Wolf Award Mortimer L. Schiff World Scout Committee members Amherst College alumni Presidents of the Boy Scouts of America