Milton Shapp
| Milton Shapp | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 40th Governor of Pennsylvania | |
|
In office January 19, 1971 – January 16, 1979 |
|
| Lieutenant | Ernest P. Kline |
| Preceded by | Raymond P. Shafer |
| Succeeded by | Dick Thornburgh |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Milton Jerrold Shapiro June 25, 1912 Cleveland, Ohio |
| Died | November 24, 1994 (aged 82) Merion, Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Muriel Matzkin |
| Alma mater | Case Western Reserve University |
| Profession | Businessman, politician |
| Religion | Judaism |
Milton J. Shapp (June 25, 1912 – November 24, 1994) was the 40th Governor of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania from 1971 to 1979 and the first Jewish governor of Pennsylvania. He was also the first governor of Pennsylvania to take advantage of an amendment to the state constitution lifting the ban on state governors succeeding themselves in office and authorizing them to serve a maximum of two consecutive terms at a time, while still requiring a minimum of four years out of office between any two such consecutive terms.
Shapp was born Milton Jerrold Shapiro in Cleveland, Ohio, to Aaron Shapiro, a businessman and staunch Republican, and Eva (née Smelsey) Shapiro, a Democrat and outspoken suffragette. His family was Jewish, and all of his grandparents had emigrated from Eastern Europe. He attended Case Institute of Technology (now Case Western Reserve University) graduating in 1933 with a degree in electrical engineering. Unfortunately, the effects of the Great Depression ravaged America, and Shapp, unable to find work in the engineering field, worked as a coal truck driver. In 1936, he took a job selling electronic parts and moved to Pennsylvania. It was during this time that he changed his name from Shapiro to Shapp to avoid prejudice, even though he continued to identify openly as being Jewish.
During World War II, Shapp served as an officer in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in North Africa and Europe. After World War II, he moved to Philadelphia and founded Jerrold Electronics Corporation, a pioneer in the cable television industry, using a $500 loan subsidized by the G.I. Bill. Jerrold became one of America's first providers of coaxial cable TV systems in 1948. Jerrold Electronics became a major player in the television industry, and Shapp himself amassed a multimillion-dollar fortune. Shapp sold his interest in Jerrold Electronics in 1967 to the General Instrument Company to concentrate on politics.
...
Wikipedia