Charles Schusterman
Charles Schusterman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1935 Soviet Union |
| Died | Error: Need valid birth date (second date): year, month, day Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, philanthropist |
| Known for | Founder of Samson Investment Company; co-founder of Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation |
| Spouse | Lynn Schusterman |
| Children | 3 (including Stacy H. Schusterman) |
Charles Schusterman (1935–December 30, 2000) was an American entrepreneur and philanthropist based in Tulsa. He established Samson Investment Company, a privately owned oil and gas enterprise with holdings in the United States, Canada, Venezuela, and Russia. Together with his wife, Lynn Schusterman, he launched the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, becoming a prominent benefactor of Jewish initiatives in both the U.S. and Israel.
Early life
Born in 1935 within the Soviet Union, Schusterman hailed from an Orthodox Russian Jewish family that immigrated to the United States. He was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he completed his education at Central High School. He pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in petroleum engineering at the University of Oklahoma and subsequently served in the United States Army.
Career
Schusterman's entry into the oil sector began with an oil field salvage business in Oklahoma. By 1961, he commenced purchasing marginal oil leases. In 1971, with a $30,000 loan from his mother, he founded the Samson Investment Company. The firm was named in honor of both the Biblical figure Samson and Schusterman’s late father. Over time, Samson expanded its operations across North America as well as into Venezuela and Russia.
Philanthropy
Alongside his wife, Schusterman co-established the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, which contributed millions to various causes including the University of Oklahoma, Tulsa’s Parent Child Center, and Jerusalem’s Israel Arts and Science Academy. Their most substantial donation was a $10 million gift in 1999 that enabled OU to acquire the former Amoco Research Center in Tulsa; this facility was transformed into the Schusterman Health Sciences Center.
In partnership with Edgar Bronfman, Sr. and Michael Steinhardt, Schusterman helped found Synagogue Transformation and Renewal, an initiative aimed at revitalizing synagogue attendance across America.
Personal life
Charles Schusterman was married to philanthropist Lynn Schusterman. The couple had three children: two sons, Hal and Jay, and a daughter, Stacy H. Schusterman. He also had a brother and a sister.
Death and legacy
After being diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in 1983—at a time when treatment options were unavailable—Schusterman survived for 17 years beyond expectations before passing away on December 30, 2000, due to acute respiratory distress syndrome. His funeral took place at Temple Israel in Tulsa. The Charles Schusterman Jewish Community Center in Tulsa is named in his honor. In November 2000, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
External sources
- Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation.
- 1945 births
- 2000 deaths
- American people of Russian-Jewish descent
- American Zionists
- Businesspeople from Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Soviet emigrants to the United States
- American company founders
- Philanthropists from Oklahoma
- American Reform Jews
- Deaths from leukemia in the United States
- Deaths from respiratory failure
- American businesspeople in the oil industry
- 20th-century American philanthropists
- 20th-century American businesspeople
- 20th-century American Jews
- Schusterman family
- Jews from Oklahoma