Repository

Heinz History Center

Title

Frieda and Saul Shapira papers

Creator

Shapira, Frieda, 1914-2003

Creator

Shapira, Saul, 1913-1981

Collection Number

MSS#508

Extent

36 linear feet ( 35 boxes)

Date

1935-2003

Abstract

Frieda and Saul Shapira, members of one of the five founding families of the Giant Eagle retail grocery business, were active members of the boards or advisory committees of a wide array of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations dedicated to Jewish causes as well as to civil rights, special education, interfaith relations, women's rights, and poverty. The material in this collection, consisting largely of correspondence, meeting minutes, notes, reports and publications, stems from the many organizations in which the Shapiras, particularly Frieda, were involved. The collection provides insight into the inner workings of many local organizations, including the Pittsburgh Foundation, the Community College of Allegheny County, the United Jewish Federation, the Health and Welfare Association of Allegheny County, Montefiore Hospital, WQED, and the University of Pittsburgh's School of Social Work and School of General Studies.

Language

The material in this collection is in English.

Author

The guide to this collection was written by Matt Strauss.

Sponsor

Partial funding for the processing of this collection was made available by the Shapira foundation.

Publisher

Heinz History Center

Address

1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org

History

Frieda (F.S.) and Saul Shapira (S.S.), members of one of the five founding families of the Giant Eagle retail grocery business, were active members of the boards or advisory committees of a wide array of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations dedicated to Jewish causes as well as to civil rights, special education, interfaith relations, women's rights, and poverty. From the 1960s until her death in 2003, F.S. sat on the board or committees of nearly twenty organizations. Her husband S.S. was president and chief executive officer of Giant Eagle Markets from 1968 to 1980 and the first chairman of the Office of Economic Opportunity of Allegheny County. The couple married in 1934.

Frieda Shapira

Frieda Shapira was born in Pittsburgh's Hill District in 1914. Her father, Joe Goldstein, was one of five founders of the Giant Eagle chain. When she was three, the family moved to the Point Breeze neighborhood before finally settling in Squirrel Hill near Schenley Park. A graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School, F.S. earned a degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh in 1934. Following marriage and graduation, F.S. and S.S. moved to New York City, where she earned degrees from the Teachers College of Columbia University in 1935 and the New York School of Social Work in 1937. That same year, the couple returned to Pittsburgh, and F.S. began to work as a case worker for the Children's Service Bureau, teaching neglected children in foster homes. She left the position in 1941, when she had the first of her four children.

During the 1960s, F.S. began volunteering her time for social causes, helping to establish the city's first free in-school lunch program. She also became involved in numerous local organizations and would serve on the boards or committees of over twenty organizations. Among the first she became involved in was the Pittsburgh section of the National Council of Jewish Women, where she served as president from 1966 to 1968 and became a lifetime board member. In 1966, as director of Women in Community Service (WICS), she was instrumental in establishing the nation's first nonresidential Job Corps Centers for women. During the 1980s, she worked with the Forbes Fund, which helped fund agencies that had their funding cut by policies of the Reagan administration.

Among the awards and honors F.S. received for her lifetime of public service were the Henri Dumont Award from the Red Cross, an honorary doctoral degree from Point Park University, the Florence Reizenstein Award for Advancement of Human Rights and Dignity from the Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations, and the Catherine Booth Award from the Salvation Army. She was also named one of Pittsburgh Magazine's 100 Most Influential Pittsburghers of the Century.

Frieda Shapira passed away on July 7, 2003.

Saul Shapira

Saul Shapira was born on December 26, 1913. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 1934 and the Columbia University Law School in 1937, S.S joined the newly formed Pittsburgh Housing Authority, one of the first public housing programs in the country. He became manager of the Glen Hazel Housing Project and associate director of the Housing Authority before joining Giant Eagle in 1945. Under his leadership, Giant Eagle increased its business, opening large supermarkets in the suburbs as well as expanding into neighboring West Virginia and Ohio. He also served as chairman of the board of Topco Inc., a national food buying cooperative. In 1980, S.S. retired from Giant Eagle and was succeeded by his son, David Shapira.

S.S. was president of the United Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh from 1968 to 1970, receiving its Emanuel Spector Award for leadership and service to the community in 1972. He was also president of Health and Welfare Association of Allegheny County, as well as vice president of Montefiore Hospital and the Community Chest.

Saul Shapira passed away on August 29, 1981.

Scope and Content Notes

The Frieda and Saul Shapira Papers are housed in 35 archival boxes and arranged in two series. The first series, covering the couple's involvement in local organizations, represents the bulk of the collection. The second series, much smaller than the first, houses the couple's personal papers.

Series I: Frieda and Saul Shapira Organizational Records

The material in this series, consisting largely of correspondence, meeting minutes, notes, reports, newsletters, publications, and pamphlets, originates from a wide array of local nonprofit groups, including local philanthropic organizations, advocacy groups, schools, and healthcare organizations. Among the organizations represented are the Pittsburgh Foundation, the Community College of Allegheny County, the United Jewish Federation, the Health and Welfare Association of Allegheny County, Montefiore Hospital, WQED, and the University of Pittsburgh's School of Social Work and School of General Studies. Separate subseries have been designated for organizations for which there is a significant amount of material. The final subseries houses records from multiple organizations for which there is a smaller amount of material.

Originating mostly from the 1960s and 1970s, these items cover issues such as civil rights, special education, interfaith relations, women's rights, and poverty. These are largely records of Pittsburgh-based organizations, though the Shapiras were also involved in the local chapters of several national organizations. The documentation concerns local issues and initiatives, as well as national and international matters such as Israeli foreign relations, Vietnam, and various federal domestic policies.

Series II: Personal Papers

This series, much smaller than the first, contains Frieda and Saul Shapira's personal papers. The Frieda Shapira subseries consists of personal correspondence, biographical sketches, copies of speeches, and material pertaining to numerous awards and commendations. The Saul Shapira subseries consists largely of records originating from his employment in the Pittsburgh Housing Authority but also includes a small amount of personal correspondence.

Arrangement

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is stored offsite and 24-hour notice is required for use of materials from this collection. One folder (box 13, folder 11) containing correspondence regarding the Frieda and Saul Shapira Fund has been restricted.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

David, Daniel, Ralph, and Edie Shapira, the children of Frieda and Saul Shapira, donated this collection in two accessions on October 28, 2003 and March 6, 2006 .

Preferred Citation

Frieda and Saul Shapira Papers, 1935-2003, MSS 508, Rauh Jewish Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Matt Strauss on February 2, 2009.

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Library and Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center.

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