Shwayder, Jesse, 1882-1970
Biography
Jesse Shwayder was born in Blackhawk, Colorado in 1882, one of five sons of Isaac and Rachel Kobey Shwayder. The Shwayder family moved to Denver and Jesse encouraged his father to open a small luggage store. Jesse married Nellie Weitz and went to work as a salesman for Seward Luggage in New York City. After a year, he had enough money and experience to come back to Denver and open the Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing Company in 1910, which became the renowned Samsonite Luggage Company. His son King D. Shwayder became president of Samsonite in 1962. Jesse Shwayder died in Denver in 1970.
Found in 19 Collections and/or Records:
Box 91, circa 1945
Contains an intaglio engraving plate of Jessie Shwayder, probably made of zinc.
Dinner Event, between 1940-1960
Several men and women sit at tables during a dinner event listening to a man at a speaker's podium. Seated second from right at the head table is Jesse Shwayder and fifth from the right is Rabbi Kauvar.
Family of Jessie and Nellie Shwayder, circa 1922
Jesse and Nellie Shwayder sit for a family portrait surrounded by their five children. All members of the family are looking at Norma, the baby, who sits center on Jesse's lap and is the only individual looking at the camera. The other children are, left to right, Dorothy, Fay, King, and Ruth.
Individuals, 1962-1994
File contains newspaper clippings from 1962-1994 that are about individual people in the Jewish Denver community. The majority of the articles are from the early 1980s.
Isaac Shwayder Family, circa 1905
Isaac and Rachel Shwayder sit for a formal family portrait surrounded by their ten children: Sol, Jesse, Rachel, Mark, Gertrude, Florence, Maurice, Hannah, Ben and Liebe.
Jesse Shwayder Formal Portrait, circa 1929
Formal portrait of Jesse Shwayder standing with his hands in his pockets. In the early 1900s, Jesse Shwayder opened a small luggage factor in Denver with his father, Isaac, and brothers Mark, Maurice, Benjamin, and Solomon. Together they turned it into one of the largest luggage producers in America, the Samsonite Corporation.
Jesse Shwayder Holding Incendiary Bomb, circa 1940
Jesse Shwayder holds an incendiary bomb manufactured by Shwayder Brothers during World War II. From left to right: Emmet Heisler, Jesse Shwayder, seated, Louis Degen. Two of the men in the photograph are unidentified. The Shwayders founded the Samsonite Corporation.
Jesse Shwayder with Golden Rule Marbles, between 1960-1970
Jesse Shwayder sits at a desk with a set of Golden Rule Marbles. These marbles were often given away to employees of the Samsonite Corporation, as well as visitors to remind them of the Golden Rule.
Jewish Event, between 1940-1960
Six men pose together at a Jewish event including Rabbi Kauvar (standing left), Jesse Shwayder (standing right), and Sid Jacobs (sitting right).
Jewish Leaders with the Colorado Governor, 1954
Left to right Governor Daniel Thornton, Rabbi Charles Kauvar, Jesse Shwayder, Adolph Kiesler, and an unidentified man pose together.
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- Industrialists 3
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- Advertising 2
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