Sapirstein, Jacob, 1884-1987.

Jacob Sapirstein was the founder and president of American Greetings Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, and a noted Jewish philanthropist. He emigrated from Poland to the U.S. in 1905, and settled in Cleveland in 1906. Starting out as a seller of Cleveland picture postcard scenes, he expanded the business to include greeting cards. By 1932, the Sapirstein Card Company began designing and manufacturing its own cards. In 1938, the company changed its name to American Greetings Publishers, and in 1952 to American Greetings Corporation. Jacob Sapirstein reamined president of the company until 1960, when his son, Irving Stone, succeeded him.