STONE, MORRIS SAMUEL

STONE, MORRIS SAMUEL (15 March 1911-23 June 1989) was an executive at the AMERICAN GREETINGS CORP. who, along with his father (company founder, 1906) and two brothers, helped build American Greetings into the world's largest manufacturer of greeting cards and related products.

Born in Cleveland to Jacob and Jennie (Kanter) Sapirstein (see JACOB J. SAPIRSTEIN), Stone attended Glenville High School. At age 7, Stone helped make postcard deliveries for his father. By 1929, Stone was a full-time salesman for the Sapirstein Greeting Card Company. In 1939 the company began operating as American Greetings.

Stone's commitment helped push sales of American Greetings cards and other products from card shops to department, discount and drug stores. By the 1940s American Greetings counted every major American drug store chain as a customer. Stone's contacts with retail customers gave American Greetings insight for innovations that became industry standards, such as printing retail price coding on the backs of cards and displaying cards in open cabinets. Stone remained with American Greetings until 1989, retiring as vice-chairman.

In addition to his contributions to American Greetings, Stone supported religious and community organizations. He was a board member of PARK SYNAGOGUE, the JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER, and the Jewish Welfare Fund (see JEWISH FEDERATION OF CLEVELAND). Stone contributed to the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum (see WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY) with financing and the gifts of a 1934 Chrysler Air Flow and a 1920 Jordan Playboy.

Stone married Evelyn Weiss on 29 July 1934 (div. 1959). They had a son, Robert. Stone married Maxeen Meyerson on 14 May 1960. They had five children, Steven, Jon, James, Susan and Patricia. Stone lived in SHAKER HEIGHTS and is buried in Park Synagogue Cemetery.


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