Harold Schafer (February 1, 1912 – December 2, 2001) was a
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, So ...
businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded the Gold Seal Company, the original maker of ''
Mr. Bubble''. He also was a major benefactor in the tourist town of
Medora, North Dakota and the ''
Medora Musical''.
Background
Schafer was born on a small farm near
Stanton, North Dakota the second of three children born to Edward and Bertha Schafer. His brother Gordon was born in 1911, his sister Ethelwyn in 1916. Harold spoke only German at home until he went to elementary school.
During his school years, the family moved repeatedly. In 1919, the Schafers moved from the farm near Stanton to another small farm near
Hazen, then to
Killdeer
The killdeer (''Charadrius vociferus'') is a large plover found in the Americas. It was described and given its current scientific name in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. Three subspecies are described. Th ...
in 1920 and to Bismarck in 1922. Harold next spent a considerable period of time with his mother's family near
Rosebud, South Dakota
Rosebud also Sicanġu ( Lakhota ''Sicanġu''; "Scorched Thigh") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Todd County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,455 at the 2020 census.
Rosebud is located on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. I ...
. In 1924, when Schafer was 12 years old, his father left the family and Harold moved back to
Bismarck to live with his mother. He and his mother subsequently moved to
Jamestown, then to
Glen Ullin and finally back to Bismarck in 1927. Schafer graduated from Bismarck High School.
During this period in his life, Schafer took his first paid job at the age of eight working in a butcher shop in Killdeer. When his family moved to Bismarck he worked as a newspaper boy, did janitorial work and was employed as a gas station attendant. In Jamestown he candled eggs, sold flowers and worked as a department store clerk. In Glen Ullin he worked on a threshing crew, and by the time he was back in Bismarck and graduating from high school, Schafer did odd jobs at the Dahl clothing store, was an usher at the Capitol Theater, a bellhop at the
Patterson Hotel, and an attendant at the
Standard Oil Service Station. He also delivered milk, shoveled snow and was offered a job as a salesman at Bergeson's clothing store.
In 1929, Schafer enrolled at the
North Dakota State Agricultural College (now NDSU) in Fargo. He continued to work at multiple jobs and once again his employment included work as a salesman, this time at the Globe Clothing Company. Schafer left college after one year and hit the road as a traveling salesman. By 1931, at the age of 19, he returned to Bismarck where once again he found work at the Dahl Clothing Store. Schafer was forced to take a job at a clothing store in
Glasgow, Montana
Glasgow is a city in and the county seat of Valley County, Montana, United States, the population was 3,202 at the 2020 census.
Despite being just the 23rd most populous city in Montana, Glasgow is the most populous city for over , thus maki ...
, almost immediately after his first wedding but, by January 1, 1936, he was back in Bismarck and working for Vantine's Paint and Glass. He switched to Fargo Glass and Paint in November 1936 and then worked for that company as a traveling salesman for several years.
Gold Seal Company
In 1942, Schafer started packaging and selling a product he called Gold Seal Floor Wax. He personally typed the labels by hand and taped them onto old cans in his basement and, thus, Gold Seal Company was born. In the spring of 1943, Harold resigned his job at Fargo Glass and Paint to pursue his new dream, only to discover that the few hundred dollars that he had expected to have available for the purpose of starting the company did not materialize. At that point the family had three small children, no job and no money, and his new company had no assets.
In 1943, his Gold Seal Company made a profit of $901.02, and Schafer borrowed money from friends to keep going. The company grew modestly at first but, in 1945 introduced a new product called Glass Wax. Sales increased dramatically and then suddenly boomed when, in 1948, Glass Wax went national. The success of Glass Wax was repeated again in the 1950s with Snowy Bleach and in the 1960s with Mr. Bubble. Each of these became the number one selling product in their respective categories, and the Gold Seal Company continued to produce increasing sales and profits until it was sold to
Airwick Industries in 1986.
Later years
After selling his Gold Seal interests, Schafer reinvested much of his assets in the
Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation to promote and preserve Medora's
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
culture. Schafer was honored for this benefaction with the
Rough Rider Award, North Dakota's highest civilian honor.
He purchased the Rough Riders Hotel and the Ferris Store in 1962 and began renovating them in 1963. Other renovations and improvements soon followed and, in 1965, the Medora Division of the Gold Seal Company was opened to the public. Schafer was enthralled with Medora and its fascinating history, and continued to pour his money and his efforts into this project. Medora eventually developed into the largest recreational area in the state of North Dakota. When the Gold Seal Company was sold in 1986, the family donated the Medora assets to the newly formed Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation.
A number of awards were bestowed on Schafer for his philanthropy, but he also became the youngest person ever to win the
Horatio Alger award
The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is a nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Virginia, that was founded in 1947 to honor the achievements of outstanding Americans who have succeeded in spite of adversity and to emphas ...
. In 1972, Shafer received the Golden Plate Award from the
American Academy of Achievement
The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet ...
, presented by Council Chairman
Lowell Thomas at an awards ceremony, in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1975, he was awarded the state's highest honor, the
Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award The Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award is an award presented by the governor of the state of North Dakota. It is bestowed upon prominent North Dakotans.
Recipients
''Note: date in parentheses indicates date of award''
* Lawrence Welk, enterta ...
by Governor
Arthur Albert Link.
In 1995, he was inducted into the
DeMolay International Hall of Fame.
The Harold Schafer Leadership Center was established at the
University of Mary
The University of Mary (UMary or simply Mary) is a private, Benedictine university near Bismarck, North Dakota. It was established in 1959 as Mary College.
The university is the largest degree-granting institution in western North Dakota. It ...
in 1997 by the university's then-president Sister
Thomas Welder.
A collection of Native American artifacts which he assembled is displayed in the Museum of the Badlands in Medora. A Theodore Roosevelt Badlands Institute has been planned for Medora, and the artifact collection would be housed within the Institute's facility.
Personal life
On September 22, 1935, he married Marian Nelsen of
Aberdeen, South Dakota
Aberdeen ( Lakota: ''Ablíla'') is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, South Dakota, United States, located approximately northeast of Pierre. The city population was 28,495 at the 2020 census, making it the third most populous ci ...
. The couple had five children, Haroldeen, Joanne, Dianne,
Ed, and Pam. On May 9, 1965, Harold married Sheila Chinn Limond. She had three children - Mark, Michelle, and Maureen. He was the father of
Ed Schafer
Edward Thomas Schafer (born August 8, 1946) is an American businessman and politician who was the 30th governor of North Dakota from 1992 to 2000. Schafer also served as the 29th United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2008 to 2009, appoint ...
who was the former
United States Secretary of Agriculture
The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments.
The department includes several organi ...
and
North Dakota governor (1992 to 2000).
Harold Schafer died December 2, 2001, in a Bismarck hospital after an extended illness, aged 89. A memorial service was held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bismarck.
References
External links
Harold Schafer Heritage Center websiteHarold Schafer Emerging Leaders Academy. University of Mary websiteMedora Musical website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schafer, Harold
1912 births
2001 deaths
American manufacturing businesspeople
American people of German descent
Businesspeople from North Dakota
North Dakota State University alumni
People from Mercer County, North Dakota
People from Todd County, South Dakota
1984 United States presidential electors
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century American philanthropists