Edgar M. Bronfman, Seagrams Visionary, Dead at 84

[Disclaimer:  I've spent a lot of time in bars and I've never been much of a Seven and Seven guy. Who is?  But a Crown Royal on the rocks with a twist is okay in a limited way for an off night.]

There are three Bronfmans you need to be aware of.

The first one, Samuel, founded the Seagrams empire. He started distilling spirits in Canada in the 1920s, building and accumulating a number of distilleries along the US/Canada border.  By the end of Prohibition in 1933, he was well positioned to take advantage of the exploding US market.  Well-positioned would be an understatement here.  The Times obit, which is excellent, noted ...

At its zenith, in 1956, Seagram’s products accounted for one of every three distilled-alcohol drinks in the United States. 

Which isn't chopped liver.

The second one, Samuel's son Edgar, died December 21st at his home in New York City of natural causes.  Edgar, upon seeing the beginning of a slide in the liquor business, expanded Seagrams aggressively, diversifying into petroleum, gas and chemicals businesses and, to a degree, Hollywood.  At one time, Seagrams was the largest minority shareholder of DuPont.  

The third one, Edgar's son Edgar Jr., also had the diversification bug.  In 1995 he sold all the DuPont stock back to the company and went into the entertainment business.  Some would say this was a disaster.  Many, in fact.  Me?  I admire the man's pluck.  But you could argue the less said about Edgar Jr. the better.  Certainly if you owned Seagrams stock.

So back to Dad.

Above and beyond being a tremendously successful businessman, Bronfman's role as president of the World Jewish Congress from 1981 to 2007 merits some space on the tombstone.  As head of the WJC he rattled plenty of cages, including exposing the Nazi history of UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim; pressuring Swiss banks to offer financial restitution to European Jews whose fortunes had been confiscated by the Nazis; and lobbying for basic rights for Jews in the USSR.

Is there such a term as an Oxford semicolon?

No.

Anyway, God bless the man.  

Here he is in his role as President of the WJC ...

If you want to pay $2.99 and watch "The Untouchables" in its entirety, you can here ...

Which is like a little internet miracle, isn't it?  Best late-career Sean Connory role, one could argue.

RESOURCES:

The Times Obit is here.

The Toronto Star Obit is here, which, disappointingly, is just an AP story.  You'd think they'd have come up with something more extensive, given Seagrams Canadian roots.

Finally, if you're bookish, you can go to Amazon and buy Bronfman's memoir, "Good Spirits, The Making of a Businessman."  One review, three stars.  I've not read it so I can't really vouch.