- Julius Schepps
Julius Schepps (November 16, 1895 - May 25, 1971) was an American civic leader and businessman. [ [http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/SS/fsc65.html Handbook of Texas Online - Schepps' Biography] ]
Early life
Schepps was born in
St. Louis, MO to Russian immigrant parents Joe and Jennie (née Nathanson) Schepps. When his parents moved to Dallas in 1901 to start a bakery business, he worked in the bakery and sold newspapers. He attendedTexas A&M University in 1941 on a baseball scholarship until it was discovered that he lacked a high school education.Later years
Though Schepps was forced to leave the university, he became a lifetime supporter of it. He later moved to El Paso and worked there for two years. He married Phyllis Eickman in El Paso in 1915, with whom he later had three children.
Business life
Schepps acquired the family bakery in 1922 when his father Joe Schepps died (it was sold in 1928). After the bakery was sold, he started an insurance company that lasted 43 years. He established the Schepps Brewing Company in 1934 and sold it the next year. He served on the board of directors (once as chairman) for the Mercantile National Bank from 1922 until his death. He shared other business interests including bakeries and other insurance companies. His success as a businessman allowed him to become a generous contributor to a number of charities.
Charity work
Schepps donated close to $120,000 to the relief of Jews in the United States during
World War II and contributed to build a retirement home for the Jewish population in Dallas. Schepps was once a member ofSt. Peter's Roman Catholic Parochial School , co-chairman of the mission to buildSt. Paul Hospital in Dallas, and was also a member of otherProtestant groups. He acted as director of theUnited Fund , theDallas Chamber of Commerce , the Carruth Memorial Rehabilitation Center, WRR classical radio station (the oldest radio station in Texas, and second oldest in the United States) [ [http://www.wrr101.com/about.shtml About WRR] ] , and the Dallas Citizens Council. Schepps served on the committee for the West Dallas Housing Project in later years.Schepps served on the grand jury that investigated a string of bombings to African-American communities in the 1950s in Dallas, and headed the first biracial committee in Dallas.
Awards
Schepps received the
Linz Award in 1953 and was recognized as "Dallas's Most Outstanding Citizen" the following year. He was recognized as "Headliner of the Year" by the Press Club of Dallas in 1962. Three years later, he received a "Brotherhood Citation" by the National Conference of Christians and Jews and was given the Humanitarian Award by B'nai B'rith.The stretch of
Interstate 45 within the City of Dallas is named in his honor.References
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