Charles Schusterman

Charles Schusterman (1935–2000) was a Russian-born American businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Samson Investment Company, a privately owned oil and gas company with oil field investments in the United States, Canada, Venezuela and Russia. He was a large donor to Jewish causes in the United States and Israel. He and his wife, Lynn Schusterman, founded the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.

Charles Schusterman
Born1935
Soviet Union
DiedDecember 30, 2000
Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Oklahoma
OccupationBusinessman, philanthropist
Spouse(s)Lynn Schusterman
Children3, including Stacy H. Schusterman

Early life

Schusterman was born to a Jewish family[1] in 1935 in the Soviet Union.[2][3][4] He emigrated to the United States as a child with his family.[2] He had a brother, Dan and a sister, Ruth (Poznik).[4] He grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he graduated from Central High School.[3] Schusterman graduated from the University of Oklahoma, where he received a bachelor of science degree in petroleum engineering.[lower-alpha 1][3][4][6] He subsequently served in the United States Army.[3][4]

Career

Schusterman started his career in the oil industry in Oklahoma by entering into an oil field salvage business. In 1961, he began acquiring and operating marginal oil leases.[5][3] In 1971, he borrowed US$30,000 from his mother and founded the Samson Investment Company, a privately owned oil and gas company.[2][3][4] The company was named in honor of Samson, a Biblical figure, as well as for his father, who had died in 1954.[2] His investments included oil fields in the United States, but also in Canada, Venezuela and Russia.[4]

Philanthropy

With his wife, Schusterman co-founded the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.[3] They donated millions to his alma mater, the University of Oklahoma; the Parent Child Center of Tulsa; and the Israel Arts and Science Academy in Jerusalem, Israel. The largest single gift was $10 million, made in 1999, which helped OU buy the former Amoco Research Center at 41st and Yale in Tulsa. The Amoco property, which included 40 acres (16 ha) of land, has since been developed into the Schusterman Health Sciences Center.[4]

With Edgar Bronfman, Sr. and Michael Steinhardt, Schusterman co-founded the Synagogue Transformation and Renewal.[2] Their goal was to revive synagogue attendance across the United States.[2]

Personal life

Schusterman married Lynn Schusterman, a philanthropist.[3] They had two sons, Hal and Jay, and a daughter, Stacy H. Schusterman.[4][7] They resided in Tulsa.[3]

Death and legacy

Schusterman was first diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in 1983.[7][lower-alpha 2][3][4] The immediate cause of death was acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).[5] His funeral was held at Temple Israel.[4] He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in November 2000.[3] The Charles Schusterman Jewish Community Center in Tulsa was named in his honor.[8]

Awards and honors
  • Charles and Lynn received the 1996 Philanthropist of the Year Award from the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives.
  • Charles received the Humanitarian Award from the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine.
  • Schusterman was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in November 2000.
  • The Tulsa Global Alliance gave Charles its Global Vision Award.

Notes
  1. He reportedly graduated among the top ten in his class.[5]
  2. At that time, there was no known treatment for CML, and Schusterman's doctors told him he could expect only six more months of life. He died on December 30, 2000, seventeen years after that diagnosis.[5]

References
  1. Schusterman organization: "Charles Schusterman: He Lived the American Dream" by Roben Smolar retrieved September 21, 2017
  2. Ovide, Shira (October 11, 2011). "Rich Family You've Never Heard Of Could Sell Their Company for $10 Billion". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  3. "Charles Schusterman" (PDF). Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 19, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  4. "Philanthropist, community leader Charles Schusterman dies". Tulsa World. December 31, 2000. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  5. Smolar, Roben. "Charles Schusterman: He Lived the American Dream." Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. May 9, 2011. Accessed November 16, 2018.
  6. "Charles Schusterman: He Lived the American Dream". Globes. December 31, 2000.
  7. Resnick-Ault, Jessica (November 23, 2011). "Schusterman Caps Israel-to-Tulsa Oil Career With KKR Sale". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  8. "Charles Schusterman Jewish Community Center". Tulsa City-County Library. Archived from the original on September 14, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2016.

External sources
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