| Notes |
- John Ben Snow Dies In Colorado Springs At 90
John Ben Snow died Sunday evening, January 21, at 10:30 p.m. Colorado time, at his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
John Ben Snow, corporation executive, ranpher, and chairman of the board of Speidel Newspapers Inc., of which he was
the founder, was born, June 16, 1883, the son of the late Benjamin and Mary Watson Snow. Since 1939, his chief industrial activity was centered in his promotion of the 11 Speidel newspapers in eight states, and his principal philanthropic interests in the development of housing, educational and research projects at New York university, Syracuse University; and his hometown of Pulaski, all in New York State.
Prior to 1939, he was associated with F.W. Woolworth Co., where he began in 1906 as a basement stock room clerk, in New York City. Most of his career with that company was in England where he served as superintendent of buyers and a director until his retirement.
In connection with his interests in ranching in Wyoming,
California, and Colorado, Mr. Snow purchased the Western
Horseman Magazine in 1943, and that is established in Colorado Springs.
Until 1970 Mr. Snow's permanent address was the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, although in recent years he spent a great deal of his time in Colorado Springs. Since 1970, he had maintained his New York State residence in Pulaski.
His philanthropic enterprises were at Syracuse University a
Foundation grant of a million dollars in 1965 for a journalism research program devoted to all phases of newspaper operation. In the same year, a personal gift of $25,000 endowed the Snow Clan Collection at Syracuse University to acquire books in the field of Religion, Business, and Journalism.-A personal gift of $100,000
in 1970 is being used to improve and house Syracuse University's Von Ranke Collection of the newspaper research
program embracing a professorship, several graduate
assistant^ships, and numerous four year undergraduate
scholarships is centered in the Journalism School of the
University. The grant was hailed by Syracuse officials as being of the greatest significance to the whole generation of researchers, and an encouragement to the most talented young people of the nation. The Snow Clan Book Collection
was presented to the University in memory of his grandparents, the late Benjamin and Lovina Warner Snow and other Pulaski relatives who were early settlers in Pulaski village. At the time of Snow's personal grant of $100,000
for the von Ranke collection, the collection was described as containing the library of the 19th Century German historian, Leopold Von Ranke, and representing the cornerstone of research collections for the Syracuse University libraries.
Chief among his other philanthropies were his creation
of the John Ben Snow Foundation, of which he was president; his participation as a founder of the New York University Medical Center, and his contributions to the building programs of NYU Law School and Graduate School of Business
Administration, He was also instrumental in building chapter
houses for Phi Gamma Delta and Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternities on the NYU campus. The Phi Gamma Delta house is named "John Ben Snow Hall." Also, through the Foundation, he participated in the Root-Tilden Snow law Scholarships at New
York University.
Other recent philanthropies included many gifts to the village of Pulaski and for the benefit of the people in his home community. Among them have been: The establishment of four $5,000 Snow College Scholarships, forty four Snow Incentive Awards for underclassmen in Junior and Senior High School, extensive improvements at the Pulaski Cemetery and the erection of the Snow Memorial Chapel, and several Feasibility Studies in behalf of a hospital, a Sanitary
sewer, and a community center.
In l963he donated the Snow home in Pulaski to the village in which to house the Pulaski Public Library and to which endowment funds have been granted in the intervening years. In 1964, a new Baldwin Electric Organ was given to the Pulaski High School, and the Hiawatha and Oswego Councils of Boy Scouts have been the recipients of generous grants
to their activities in the Pulaski area. Other programs in behalf of Pulaski have included a teacher Re-training project in local schools, the sponsorship and scholarships to eight local area high school students to attend the
Press Institute at Syracuse University, generous grants to
NOGHBI (Northern Oswego County Health Building, Inc.) and more recently, to the Girl Scouts of the Pulaski area.
Generous grants have also been made to the Oswego, N.Y.
hospital for a building program and to purchase ancillary
equipment in recognition of the valuable service that that Institution has given Pulaski area residents in recent years. His personal gifts to local churches have been a matter of record, Mr. Snow's lifelong interest in educational activities in Pulaski and at New York University is accounted for by the fact that he was graduated from the Pulaski High School in 1900 and from New York university in 1904 with a BSC degree. In 1952, Mr. Snow and his associates reorganized Speidel Newspapers Inc. to place, voting
control with the operating executives, and ownership plan
which now extends to about 100 associates of Speidel
Newspapers, the newspapers are: The Poughkeepsie (N.Y.)
Journal; Chillicothe (Ohio) Gazette; the Iowa City (Ia.)
Press-Citizen; the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Argus-Leader the Fort Collins (Colo) Coloradoan; the Reno Evening Gazette and
Nevada State Journal of Reno, Nevada; the Salinas Californian, the Stockton Record and the Visalia Times-Delta, all in California, and the Fremont (Neb) Tribune.
Mr. Snow had begun an association with Jierritt C. Speidel, now deceased, first president of Speidel Newspapers Inc., in 1907, when both were employed in Port Jervis, N.Y. and their business relationships ripened into the formation of the Speidel group, Mr, Snob's clubs and affiliations in this country included the Pilgrims Club, the New York Athletic Club, Rancheros Visitadbres of Salinas, California Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo Assoc, the Nat. Cowboy Hall of Fame; Rotary International and the El Paso Club of Colorado Springs. He was a life member of both Phi Gamma Delta an Alpha Kappa Psi fraternities and in 1965 received the AiCP iCiyie Award, who's Who listings for Mr. Snow described his being a Baptist, a Republican & Mason and noted, his affiliation in fox hunting, polo, and horse-racing.
While he lived in England several of his prize horses
established outstanding records in the English steeple-chase.
Mr. Snow had never married.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his father Benjamin in 1909 and his mother in 1916 and an older brother, Norman W. Snow in 1890. A number of cousins in a generation once removed remain to mourn his passing, Ralph W, Snow of Pulaski being one of these. He was a life member of Pulaski Lodge No, 415 F. and A.M. and of the Pulaski Baptist Church.
Memorial Services will be held in Colorado Springs Wed. or Thurs., January 24 or 25 and burial will be in Pulaski in the spring.
The family requests that instead of flowers, donations be made to the Pulaski Public Library
Source: The Pulaski Democrat, Jan 24, 1973
Class of 1900 PACS
|
1883 - 1973 (89 years)
d. 29 Apr 1909, Syracuse, Onondaga, New York, United States