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© History Oasis
Samuel Born embodies the American Dream. A Jewish immigrant who fled persecution arrived with specialized skills and built a confectionery empire through innovation and determination. His inventions fundamentally changed how candy was manufactured and consumed. He is remembered for enduring brands like Peeps, Mike & Ike, and Hot Tamale.
Samuel Born, born Samuel Bernstein, was born on September 10, 1891, in Vinnitsia, Russian Empire (now Ukraine), into a Jewish family. His early years were shaped by the region’s anti-Semitic tensions, which became so bad that the family had to relocate to Paris. It was in the city of love that Born learned the art of chocolate-making, which would define his career.
Born immigrated to Philadelphia aboard the S/S Merion in December 1909 at age 18. On the ship’s manifest, he listed himself as a “candy maker.” Born was not your typical unskilled immigrant; he had developed a passion for candy making that would make him an instant success in America’s growing confectionery industry.
In 1916, Samuel Born invented the “Born Sucker Machine,” which mechanically inserted sticks into lollipops. The invention helped to mass-produce the popular candy, which previously had to be meticulously done by hand. The machine earned him the prestigious “key to the city” of San Francisco.
Capitalizing on his machine’s success, Born opened several candy stores in New York City in 1916 to showcase his Paris-trained candy-making skills. Born sold chocolate and candies, such as lollipops. He quickly became one of the most successful businessmen in the confectionery industry.
By 1923, Born incorporated Just Born in Brooklyn. He named the company after a store sign proclaiming his candy was “just born” to emphasize freshness. He partnered with his brothers-in-law Irv and Jack Shaffer. This family-run operation would soon become a confectionery empire in America.
Just Born acquired Norma Chocolate Works in 1926. At the time, the candy industry was undergoing consolidation, with larger companies swallowing up smaller competitors. This move diversified the company’s portfolio and increased production capacity, which was the only way to compete with industry giants like Hershey and Mars.
During the Great Depression, Samuel Born moved Just Born to an abandoned printing factory in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1932. Born wanted to take advantage of the steel town’s surplus workforce and larger facilities, which had been hit hard during the financial crisis.
In 1954, the company acquired Rodda Candy Company, which was known for the popular Easter candy Marshmallow Peeps. Initially hand-shaped, these Easter treats were later automated and became a national pastime. Millions of Peeps are now produced annually, making them Born’s most popular candy.
Samuel Born died on March 23, 1959, at age 67, aboard the luxury Cunard liner Britannic during a 14,000-mile world cruise. While traveling in luxury, his death symbolizes the remarkable journey from a poor immigrant to a successful industrialist.
Samuel Born was inducted into the Candy Hall of Fame in 2006, recognizing his innovations transforming the confectionery industry. Just Born remained family-owned, with his descendants continuing his legacy of innovation and maintaining brands like Peeps, Mike and Ike, and Hot Tamales.
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