Howard J. Samuels
Encyclopedia
Howard Joseph Samuels was an American
statesman, industrialist, civil rights activist and philanthropist who served as U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce, Director of the Small Business Administration
, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
, and special advisor to the administrations of Johnson, Ford
and Carter.
A graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management
, Samuels served as a colonel in the Third Army under General George Patton. Upon conclusion of service, Samuels co-founded the Kordite Corporation. Following the principles he set on his senior thesis, Kordite was the first to produce synthetic products for household consumerism and introduced a number of mainstays including the baggie, wax paper, plastic wrap, disposable kitchenware, and a sturdy trash bag that became the Hefty
brand. The success of the company made Samuels one of the wealthiest New Yorkers, and financial able to enter politics.
The Democratic
nominee for the Lt. Governor in 1966 on a ticket headed by Frank O'Connor
, Samuels also contended unsuccessfully for the nomination for Governor four times from 1962 to 1974. He lost the 1970 primary to Arthur Goldberg
and the 1974 primary to Hugh Carey
. He also served as special aide to New York City Mayor John Lindsay
prior to his appointment as the first Chairman of New York City’s Off-Track Betting
operations. Samuels is credited with alerting voters to the need for a Constitutional Convention
, forming the non-partisan group Citizens Committee for Constitutional Convention. Members included Secretaries of the Health, Education & Welfare and Commerce departments in the Eisenhower administration, numerous Commissioners and administrators to New York State and City agencies, and Senators' Robert Kennedy and Christopher Dodd
. Governor Nelson Rockefeller
would later sign the bill.
Samuels' foray into national politics was met with resistance and criticism among the traditional political guards of both parties. His resurrection and renewed interpretation of the defunct wartime program Section 8(a)
spearheaded the SBA into the forefront of the civil rights movement
. The agency’s Project OWN program was the first institutionalized affirmative action
and reparations policy which he dubbed compensatory capitalism, or black capitalism. Though hailed by many civil rights activist and minorities alike, the program faced mounting criticism and disapproval from within the Democratic controlled Congress
, members of President Johnson’s own cabinet and threats of censorship and dismissal from Republican
Senators who cited the program as "racism in reverse."
As the Vietnam War
continued into the 1970s, Samuels became the principal financial backer to numerous war marches including John Kerry's
Veterans for Vietnam advocacy group
. Samuels became a vocal advocate for drug policy
and rehabilitation
in New York City
and State policy following the arrest of his son, Howard Samuels
, and revelation of his addiction
to heroin.
His pioneering methods in the petrochemical industry and success in the then niche household consumer
market translated into posts as Vice President of the Mobil Oil Corporation, Commissioner of the North American Soccer League
, and Chairman to Elms Capital Management, Alexander Proudfoot PLC
, and Communities In Schools
. In 1988, the City University of New York
opened the Howard Samuels State Management and Policy Center.
with an S.B. in Management, and then joined the U.S. Army. He served as a lieutenant colonel
in the Third Army under General George S. Patton
. He was present during the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp in Buchenwald in 1945.
and Hefty
garbage bags.
nomination for Governor of New York
, but Robert M. Morgenthau
was chosen by the state convention delegates. In 1966, the party rank and file revolted against the wishes of state party leaders and nominated him over Orin D. Lehman for Lieutenant Governor of New York
. The ticket, headed by gubernatorial candidate Frank D. O'Connor
, was defeated by the Republican
nominees, Gov. Nelson Rockefeller
and Lt. Gov. Malcolm Wilson
.
by Congressman Hugh L. Carey, and despite an early lead, Samuels lost again, and Carey was subsequently elected Governor.
, and in 1968 was named Director of the Small Business Administration
. In 1969, he irritated many in his own party when he supported a liberal Republican, John V. Lindsay, in his successful bid for re-election as Mayor of New York City
. In 1970, he challenged Arthur Goldberg
, the Democratic designee for Governor, but lost narrowly in the primary election
. That year his political work was interrupted when his son, Howard Samuels, was arrested for marijuana possession in Greenwich Village
. The son was later arrested for possession of heroin and reported to have developed a heroin addiction.
. They had two children, Camille and Dominique.
of Colorado
, Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts
, Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut
and his best friend Ed R. Downe. Mr. Downe has led annual prayer services with Howard's family for 25 years (2009) in the Southampton, New York cemetery. Former New York governor Malcolm Wilson
, once an opponent, remembered him as “a highly principled gentleman with a well-developed civic and social conscience.” Cuomo said that Samuels was “a gentle, compassionate man ... (who) had the instincts, talents, and compassion to have been a great governor.” “He was a better man and a visionary than a politician,” stated journalist Ken Auletta
, formerly Samuels' campaign manager.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
statesman, industrialist, civil rights activist and philanthropist who served as U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce, Director of the Small Business Administration
Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration is a United States government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses...
, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
, and special advisor to the administrations of Johnson, Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
and Carter.
A graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management
MIT Sloan School of Management
The MIT Sloan School of Management is the business school of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
, Samuels served as a colonel in the Third Army under General George Patton. Upon conclusion of service, Samuels co-founded the Kordite Corporation. Following the principles he set on his senior thesis, Kordite was the first to produce synthetic products for household consumerism and introduced a number of mainstays including the baggie, wax paper, plastic wrap, disposable kitchenware, and a sturdy trash bag that became the Hefty
Hefty
Hefty is a brand name of trash bags, trash cans, foam disposable tableware, children’s disposable tableware, slider closure food storage and freezer bags, and disposable cookware. Hefty is a registered trademark of Pactiv Corporation...
brand. The success of the company made Samuels one of the wealthiest New Yorkers, and financial able to enter politics.
The Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nominee for the Lt. Governor in 1966 on a ticket headed by Frank O'Connor
Frank O'Connor
Frank O’Connor was an Irish author of over 150 works, best known for his short stories and memoirs.-Early life:...
, Samuels also contended unsuccessfully for the nomination for Governor four times from 1962 to 1974. He lost the 1970 primary to Arthur Goldberg
Arthur Goldberg
Arthur Joseph Goldberg was an American statesman and jurist who served as the U.S. Secretary of Labor, Supreme Court Justice and Ambassador to the United Nations.-Early life:...
and the 1974 primary to Hugh Carey
Hugh Carey
Hugh Leo Carey was an American attorney, the 51st Governor of New York from 1975 to 1982, and a seven-term United States Representative .- Early life :...
. He also served as special aide to New York City Mayor John Lindsay
John Lindsay
John Vliet Lindsay was an American politician, lawyer and broadcaster who was a U.S. Congressman, Mayor of New York City, candidate for U.S...
prior to his appointment as the first Chairman of New York City’s Off-Track Betting
Off-track betting
Off-track betting refers to sanctioned gambling on horse racing outside a race track.-US history:...
operations. Samuels is credited with alerting voters to the need for a Constitutional Convention
Constitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
, forming the non-partisan group Citizens Committee for Constitutional Convention. Members included Secretaries of the Health, Education & Welfare and Commerce departments in the Eisenhower administration, numerous Commissioners and administrators to New York State and City agencies, and Senators' Robert Kennedy and Christopher Dodd
Christopher Dodd
Christopher John "Chris" Dodd is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut for a thirty-year period ending with the 111th United States Congress....
. Governor Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st Vice President of the United States , serving under President Gerald Ford, and the 49th Governor of New York , as well as serving the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower administrations in a variety of positions...
would later sign the bill.
Samuels' foray into national politics was met with resistance and criticism among the traditional political guards of both parties. His resurrection and renewed interpretation of the defunct wartime program Section 8(a)
Section 8
Section 8 or Section Eight may refer to:*Section 8 , a United States military form of discharge due to mental illness and/or problems*Section 8 , a U.S...
spearheaded the SBA into the forefront of the civil rights movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
. The agency’s Project OWN program was the first institutionalized affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
and reparations policy which he dubbed compensatory capitalism, or black capitalism. Though hailed by many civil rights activist and minorities alike, the program faced mounting criticism and disapproval from within the Democratic controlled Congress
90th United States Congress
The Ninetieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1967 to January 3, 1969, during the last two years of...
, members of President Johnson’s own cabinet and threats of censorship and dismissal from Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Senators who cited the program as "racism in reverse."
Reverse racism
Reverse racism is a controversial term which refers to racial prejudice or discrimination directed against the traditionally dominant racial group in a society. It is sometimes used as a pejorative description of systems which discriminate in favour of members of racial minorities, more formally...
As the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
continued into the 1970s, Samuels became the principal financial backer to numerous war marches including John Kerry's
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
Veterans for Vietnam advocacy group
Advocacy group
Advocacy groups use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continue to play an important part in the development of political and social systems...
. Samuels became a vocal advocate for drug policy
Drug policy
A drug policy most often refers to a government's attempt to combat the negative effects of drug addiction and misuse in its society. Governments try to combat drug addiction with policies which address both the demand and supply of drugs, as well as policies which can mitigate the harms of drug...
and rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and State policy following the arrest of his son, Howard Samuels
Howard C. Samuels
Howard Christie Samuels, PsyD , is a state of California licensed therapist with a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. He received his Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University in 1996, followed by his MFT, specializing in addiction from Ryokan College in 1998...
, and revelation of his addiction
Addiction
Historically, addiction has been defined as physical and psychological dependence on psychoactive substances which cross the blood-brain barrier once ingested, temporarily altering the chemical milieu of the brain.Addiction can also be viewed as a continued involvement with a substance or activity...
to heroin.
His pioneering methods in the petrochemical industry and success in the then niche household consumer
Consumerism
Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Thorstein Veblen...
market translated into posts as Vice President of the Mobil Oil Corporation, Commissioner of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
, and Chairman to Elms Capital Management, Alexander Proudfoot PLC
Management Consulting Group
Management Consulting Group, PLC is a consulting company listed on the London Stock Exchange under the name MMC.It comprises three independently managed practices:* Ineum Consulting acquired 2006)...
, and Communities In Schools
Communities In Schools
The Communities In Schools network is a federation of independent 501 organizations in 27 states and the District of Columbia that work to address the dropout epidemic. The organization identifies and mobilizes existing community resources and fosters cooperative partnerships for the benefit of...
. In 1988, the City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
opened the Howard Samuels State Management and Policy Center.
Early life
He graduated from MIT Sloan School of ManagementMIT Sloan School of Management
The MIT Sloan School of Management is the business school of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
with an S.B. in Management, and then joined the U.S. Army. He served as a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in the Third Army under General George S. Patton
George S. Patton
George Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
. He was present during the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp in Buchenwald in 1945.
Kordite
After the war, he and his brother Richard founded the Kordite Company, a firm that manufactured plastic clotheslines, brooms, plastic bags and packaging, and other plastic products such as BaggiesBaggies
Baggies may refer to:* Baggies, made by Pactiv Corporation, were the first brand of food storage bags. Twist-tie-sealed bags that keep food fresh, they are available in quart , gallon and 2-gallon bags...
and Hefty
Hefty
Hefty is a brand name of trash bags, trash cans, foam disposable tableware, children’s disposable tableware, slider closure food storage and freezer bags, and disposable cookware. Hefty is a registered trademark of Pactiv Corporation...
garbage bags.
State politics
In 1962, Samuels was among the contenders for the DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nomination for Governor of New York
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
, but Robert M. Morgenthau
Robert M. Morgenthau
Robert Morris Morgenthau is an American lawyer. From 1975 until his retirement in 2009, he was the District Attorney for New York County, the borough of Manhattan.-Early life:...
was chosen by the state convention delegates. In 1966, the party rank and file revolted against the wishes of state party leaders and nominated him over Orin D. Lehman for Lieutenant Governor of New York
Lieutenant Governor of New York
The Lieutenant Governor of New York is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the government of New York State. It is the second highest ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four year term...
. The ticket, headed by gubernatorial candidate Frank D. O'Connor
Frank D. O'Connor
Frank D. O'Connor was an American lawyer and politician from New York. He was District Attorney of Queens County, New York from 1956 to 1965.-Life:...
, was defeated by the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nominees, Gov. Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st Vice President of the United States , serving under President Gerald Ford, and the 49th Governor of New York , as well as serving the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower administrations in a variety of positions...
and Lt. Gov. Malcolm Wilson
Malcolm Wilson (New York)
Charles Malcolm Wilson was the 50th Governor of New York from December 18, 1973, to December 31, 1974. He was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1939 to 1958. He also served in the Navy during World War II...
.
1974 New York Governor election
In 1974, Samuels was the Democratic State Committee designee for Governor. He was challenged in the primary electionPrimary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
by Congressman Hugh L. Carey, and despite an early lead, Samuels lost again, and Carey was subsequently elected Governor.
City of New York Off-Track Betting
In 1971, Mayor Lindsay chose Samuels to be the first chairman of the city’s Off-Track Betting Corporation (OTB), a position which earned him the nickname “Howie the Horse.”National politics
Samuels served as U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce in the administration of President Lyndon B. JohnsonLyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
, and in 1968 was named Director of the Small Business Administration
Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration is a United States government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and strengthen the nation's economy by enabling the establishment and viability of small businesses...
. In 1969, he irritated many in his own party when he supported a liberal Republican, John V. Lindsay, in his successful bid for re-election as Mayor of New York City
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
. In 1970, he challenged Arthur Goldberg
Arthur Goldberg
Arthur Joseph Goldberg was an American statesman and jurist who served as the U.S. Secretary of Labor, Supreme Court Justice and Ambassador to the United Nations.-Early life:...
, the Democratic designee for Governor, but lost narrowly in the primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
. That year his political work was interrupted when his son, Howard Samuels, was arrested for marijuana possession in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
. The son was later arrested for possession of heroin and reported to have developed a heroin addiction.
Family
He married Barbara J. Christie, and they had eight children: William, Carey, Catherine, Victoria, Howard, Barbara, Jacqui and Janine. He later married Antoinette Chautemps, daughter of a Prime Minister of France, Camille ChautempsCamille Chautemps
Camille Chautemps was a French Radical politician of the Third Republic, three times President of the Council .-Career:Described as "intellectually bereft", Chautemps nevertheless entered politics and became Mayor of Tours in 1912, and a Radical deputy in 1919...
. They had two children, Camille and Dominique.
Death
On October 26, 1984, Samuels died of a heart attack at his home in New York City. His funeral was attended by many leading political figures. He received eulogies from Governor Mario M. Cuomo of New York, Senator Gary HartGary Hart
Gary Hart is an American politician, lawyer, author, professor and commentator. He served as a Democratic Senator representing Colorado , and ran in the U.S...
of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and his best friend Ed R. Downe. Mr. Downe has led annual prayer services with Howard's family for 25 years (2009) in the Southampton, New York cemetery. Former New York governor Malcolm Wilson
Malcolm Wilson (New York)
Charles Malcolm Wilson was the 50th Governor of New York from December 18, 1973, to December 31, 1974. He was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1939 to 1958. He also served in the Navy during World War II...
, once an opponent, remembered him as “a highly principled gentleman with a well-developed civic and social conscience.” Cuomo said that Samuels was “a gentle, compassionate man ... (who) had the instincts, talents, and compassion to have been a great governor.” “He was a better man and a visionary than a politician,” stated journalist Ken Auletta
Ken Auletta
Ken Auletta is an American writer, journalist and media critic for The New Yorker.-Early life and education:Auletta grew up in Brooklyn, the son of an Italian-American father and a Jewish-American mother...
, formerly Samuels' campaign manager.
See also
- President Lyndon Johnson
- Prime Minister Camille ChautempsCamille ChautempsCamille Chautemps was a French Radical politician of the Third Republic, three times President of the Council .-Career:Described as "intellectually bereft", Chautemps nevertheless entered politics and became Mayor of Tours in 1912, and a Radical deputy in 1919...
- Nelson RockefellerNelson RockefellerNelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st Vice President of the United States , serving under President Gerald Ford, and the 49th Governor of New York , as well as serving the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower administrations in a variety of positions...
- Mario M. Cuomo
- Robert Kennedy
- Affirmative ActionAffirmative actionAffirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
- Kordite Corporation
- Petrochemical industry
- Off-track bettingOff-track bettingOff-track betting refers to sanctioned gambling on horse racing outside a race track.-US history:...
- U.S. Department of Commerce