| Samuel Bronfman |
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EARLY LIFE Born either in Soroki , Bessarabia or en route to Russia , Bronfman was one of eight children of Mindel and Ekiel Bronfman. His parents were refugees who immigrated to Wapella Saskatchewan , but soon moved to Brandon , Manitoba . In 1903 , the family bought a hotel business, and Samuel, noting that much of the profit was in alcoholic beverages, set up shop as a distributor, founding the ''Distillers Corporation'' in Montreal in 1924 . HIS EMPIRE He built an empire based on the appeal of brand names, including Calvert, Dewars, and Seven Crown, to higher level consumers, and merged with Joseph E. Seagram & Sons of Waterloo , Ontario in 1928 . His sales were boosted during the United States' abortive experiment with Prohibition , and he was apparently able to do so while staying within the confines of both Canadian and American law, while dealing with unsavory characters and Chicago bootleggers. His company, Seagram Co. Ltd., became an international distributor of alcoholic beverages, and is now a diversified conglomerate which includes an entertainment branch. FAMILY LIFE On June 21 , 1922 , he married Saidye Rosner ( 1897 - July 7 , 1995 ). They had four children: # Aileen Mindel "Minda" Bronfman de Gunzburg ( 1925 - 1986 ) # Phyllis Lambert (born January 24 , 1927 ) # Edgar Miles Bronfman (born June 20 , 1929 ) # Charles Rosner Bronfman (born June 27 , 1931 ) PHILANTHROPY In 1952 , he established the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation, one of Canada's major private granting foundations. He was president of the Canadian Jewish Congress from 1939 to 1962 . In 1971 , he helped to establish The Bronfman Building at McGill University which houses the Desautels Faculty of Management. It was renamed after Marcel Desautels , who donated CAD $22 million. HONOURS He was made a Companion of the Order Of Canada in 1967 . REFERENCES
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