KIRBY, JOSIAH (16 May 1883-4 Feb. 1964), controversial businessman, was born in Wyoming, Ohio, came to Cleveland in 1911 following a business failure, and formed Cleveland Discount Co., a $10 million mortgage company which by 1921 was the largest company of its kind in the U.S., with capital of $37 million. But Kirby's company was taken over by receivers in 1923 with huge losses.
The KIWANIS CLUB was first organized in Cleveland on 19 Oct. 1915, making Cleveland's the second-oldest club, to the one founded 6 months earlier in Detroit. The purpose of the Cleveland club was to foster "the exchange of business and civic ideas [and] introductions of mutual benefit," and to aid the underprivileged.
KLAIMAN, RALPH (6 Dec. 1913-29 May 1993) was the founder of Bilt-Rite Fabrics and an avowed Socialist and civic activist.
Born in Cleveland to Manuel and Yetta (Bogen) Klaiman, Ralph graduated from Glenville High School in 1929. His first job was servicing penny peanut machines followed by a number of odd jobs. During World War II Klaiman worked for Eaton Axle in production of military parts.
KLEMENTOWICZ, BRONIS J. (22 Oct. 1915-7 April 1993) was a councilman, utilities director, and law director who worked under Mayors LAUSCHE, CELEBREZZE, and LOCHER.
KLONOWSKI, STANLEY J. (29 May 1883-3 Feb. 1973), prominent businessman and banker, was born in Poland, graduated from the University of Poland at Warsaw, and was fluent in Russian, French, and English as well as Polish. After working as a postal clerk, telegraph operator, and serving in the Russian army, he came to the U.S. in 1904, working in several cities before settling in Cleveland in 1912.
KLUMPH, ARCHIBALD (ARCH) C. (6 June 1869-3 June 1951) successful businessman, musician, and pioneer in the Rotary Club movment, Klumph contributed to the economic and cultural life of the city. Arch was born in Conneautville, Pennsylvania, the son of Mortimer and Emma Cooper Klumph. Coming to Cleveland as a youth, he went to work for a small lumber company as a boy of 14.
KLUNDER, BRUCE W. (12 July 1937-7 April 1964) was a martyr in the campaign to desegregate the Cleveland public schools. Born in Greeley, CO, son of Everett and Beatrice Klunder, he moved with his family to Oregon where he was educated. Klunder earned his bachelor's degree from Oregon State University (1958) and there met his future wife, Joanne Lehman. The couple wed 22 Dec.
KNAPP, HAROLD JENNINGS (15 July 1887-25 Jan. 1955) public health advocate and Cleveland health commissioner, was born in Elyria, the son of William Pitcher and Mary Ann (Churchill) Knapp. Educated at Elyria public schools, Knapp received an A.M. degree from Western Reserve University in 1911 and an M.D. from its Medical School in 1919. After working briefly for the U.S.
KNIGHT, THOMAS A. (24 Feb. 1876-17 June 1946) was a journalist, real estate dealer, and auther. He was born in Toronto, Canada, where his parents had repaired following the Great Chicago Fire, but brought to Cleveland by them during his first year.
The KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS TRACK MEET was an annual sporting event that brought national and international track and field athletes to Cleveland for competition between 1941 and its last meet in 1993. It reportedly was the 2nd-oldest indoor meet in the U.S. when it was suspended for lack of a sponsor in Jan. 1987.
The KNIGHTS OF LABOR DISTRICT ASSEMBLY NO. 47 was an early local labor coalition that preceded the trade union bodies later formed by the AFL and the CIO. The assembly had its origin in the Industrial Council of 1874 but soon became affiliated with the Knights of Labor as the Trades & Labor Assembly No. 47. Within a decade some 50 locals constituted District No.
KNIOLA, MICHAEL P. (16 Sept. 1859-17 Sept. 1944), prominent businessman in Cleveland's Polish community, was born in Samostrzel, Poland, to Peter and Anna Nowakowski Kniola. He immigrated to Spotswood, N.J. in 1873 and moved to Cleveland in 1880, working at Cleveland Rolling Mill Co. He continued his education at Broadway Night School, and eventually became a mill foreman.
KNOBLE FLORISTS, a leader in the floral community, was founded in 1906 by Herman P. Knoble near its present location at 1836 W. 25th St. Knoble was among the founders and charter members of the Floral Telegraph Delivery System (FTD), begun in 1912, and in 1924 he founded the clearinghouse division of that organization, which centralized billing of FTD purchases.
KNOWLTON, DONALD SNOW (22 Nov. 1892-27 July 1976) attained success in his field of public relations and his avocation as a free-lance writer. Born in Cleveland, he was the son of Fanny Snow Knowlton (13 June 1859-11 Nov. 1926), a distinguished local composer and one of the founders of the CLEVELAND MUSIC SCHOOL SETTLEMENT.
KNOX & ELLIOT was an architectural firm active in Cleveland from 1893-1925. Wilm Knox (1858-1915) was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and came to America in 1886. In the office of Burnham & Root in Chicago, he met John H. Elliot (ca. 1862-ca. 1925), a native of Toronto. They formed a partnership in 1888 and opened an office in Toronto, where they executed several large and important commissions.
KOBRAK, HERBERT L. (16 Dec. 1890-22 July 1943) became involved in Cleveland's extensive foreign-language publishing field between the 2 world wars, until financial reverses led to his murder of the publisher of the PLAIN DEALER. He was born and educated in Hungary, immigrating to the U.S. in 1908.
KOHANYI, TIHAMER (1863-10 March 1913), founder of SZABADSAG (Liberty), the largest Hungarian daily newspaper in the U.S., was born in Saros, Hungary and came to America at 27 after an unsuccessful attempt to practice law in Hungary.
KOHLER, FREDERICK (2 May 1864-30 Jan. 1934), police chief, Cuyahoga County commissioner, mayor of Cleveland, and sheriff, was born in Cleveland to Christian and Fredericka Kohler. He left school in the 6th grade to help his father in Kohler Stone Works. After his father's death, the business failed, and Kohler worked several laboring jobs.
KOKLOWSKY, ALBERT, S.T. (23 Feb. 1916-1 Apr. 1983), called 'the slum priest,' advocated for AFRICAN AMERICANS in the community and in the Diocese, as pastor of OUR LADY OF FATIMA CHURCH (1963-69) during the HOUGH RIOTS.
The KOKOON ARTS CLUB was one of Cleveland's most active artists' organizations between 1911-40, largely known for its unconventional activities and espousal of "new art." Founded in 1911 by CARL MOELLMAN and WM.
The KOL ISRAEL FOUNDATION is an organization of Cleveland survivors of the Holocaust. Kol Israel, which means "All of Israel," was founded in 1959 to represent area Holocaust survivors while helping secure special education, guidance, vocational training, economic and social adjustment for people from foreign lands settling in Greater Cleveland. It also supplies charitable support for the State of Israel.
KOLASZEWSKI, ANTON FRANCIS (5 Sept. 1851-2 Dec. 1910), dynamic priest, was born in Russian Poland to John and Catherine Gergens Kolaszewski. His family immigrated to America, and Kolaszewski studied for the priesthood at Franciscan College at Teutopolis, Ill. and St. Mary Seminary in Cleveland, being ordained in 1883 and becoming pastor of ST.
KOLFF, WILLEM J., “Pim,” (14 February 1911-11 February 2009) was a prominent medical surgeon and inventor whose work on the artificial kidney, lung, and heart earned him the title “The Father of Artificial Organs.” Kolff served as the founding president of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs from 1955 to 1956 and as the founder and director of the Cleveland Clinic’s first hospital-based kidney dialysis program.
KOLLER, JOHN JOSEPH (2 July 1863-6 Oct. 1923), a noted physician and surgeon of Cleveland, was born in Funfkirchen (Pecs), Hungary, the son of Adolph and Theresa (Mandell or Mautal) Koller. He attended the High School and the University at Budapest. In 1887 he graduated from the University of Vienna with an M.D.
KOLLIN (KOLINSKY), ABRAHAM (1879-4 Apr. 1968), attorney and community leader, was born in Lithuania, to David and Hannah Rose (Wolf) Kolinsky. He came to the U.S. when a boy and studied at Cleveland and Western Reserve University law schools. Admitted to the Ohio Bar Assoc. in 1902, Kollin practiced law until his retirement in 1959.
KOREAN CHURCHES IN CLEVELAND began to organize after a modification in immigration quotas in 1970, when thousands of Koreans entered the U.S., many of them coming to Cleveland. While there were some denominational preferences, many Koreans were either unchurched or unaffiliated. The KOREAN ASSN.
KOREAN WAR. The Korean War period marked the peak of Cleveland's rise as an industrial city and masked early signs of decline. Although the city's population rose slightly, 4.2%, between 1950-53, the flight to the SUBURBS was accelerating, and the county had grown by 11%. The economy had never been better.
The KOREAN-AMERICAN ASSN. OF GREATER CLEVELAND, a cultural association organized in 1966, serves the Korean-American community in the northeastern Ohio region (see IMMIGRATION AND MIGRATION). It sponsors Korean Day Festivals to celebrate and publicize Korean culture.
KOREANS. Korean immigration to Cleveland largely stems from the end of the KOREAN WAR. Some South Koreans left their homeland to escape the harsh aftermath of war, and others to escape the military regime that took over the government of South Korea. Some came to the U.S. for education, while others hoped to find economic prosperity.
KORNER & WOOD was one of Cleveland's notable bookstores. An institution in downtown Cleveland, it served as a gathering point for local writers and artists. The store was founded in 1900 at 157 Euclid Ave., near PUBLIC SQUARE, by Harry V. Korner (2 Jan. 1875-20 Oct. 1958) and A. Vinson.
KOSCIUSZKO STATUE. See STATUE OF TADEUSZ ANDREZEJ BONAWENTURA KOSCIUSZKO.
The KOSSUTH MONUMENT was erected on the northeast corner of East Blvd. and EUCLID AVE. in 1902 (dedicated 27 Sept.) by the Magyar American Citizens to commemorate Hungarian patriot Lajos (Louis) Kossuth's visit to the U.S. in 1851-52. Kossuth had arrived in Cleveland on 31 Jan. 1852 and remained for 2 days, delivering speeches and raising over $1,500 in relief funds for Hungarians.
KOSSUTH, LOUIS VISIT TO CLEVELAND. See LOUIS KOSSUTH'S VISIT TO CLEVELAND.
KOTECKI MEMORIALS was founded in 1896 by Polish immigrant Jozef Kotecki. Trained in Europe as a stonecutter and a blacksmith, Kotecki began selling grave monuments in Cleveland when he was 20 years old. Originally, his business operated from a horse-drawn cart. Kotecki would carve monuments at his home during the night, and then sell them from the cart during the day.
KOUDELKA, JOSEPH MARY (8 Dec. 1852-24 June 1921), first auxiliary bishop of Cleveland, was born in Chilstova (Bohemia), Czechoslovakia, to Markus and Anna Jazousshek Koudelka. He began his studies at the Imperial College in Klattan, Bohemia. In 1869, his family immigrated to Wisconsin. Koudelka studied for the priesthood at Mt. Calvary and St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee, in 1874 transferring to St.
KOVELL, MARGARET N. (1893-3 Oct. 1992), composer and poet, founded the Lakewood Four Arts Society (1950s), an acting group. Her original works include an operetta, Tonight is the Night, presented in the Lakewood Civic Auditorium (1960s). Kovell was born in Austria-Hungary and came to Cleveland in 1905. Interested in music as a child, she studied voice before her marriage to Frank Kovell.
KRAFT, EDWIN ARTHUR (1883-15 July 1962), musician and organist-choirmaster of TRINITY CATHEDRAL for over 50 years, was born in New Haven, Conn. to John J. and Marie F. (Kohne) Kraft. He began his musical training early, becoming a church organist in New Haven at 14. Kraft studied at Yale and became the organist at St. Thomas Church (Episcopal) in Brooklyn, N.Y.
KREIGER, RALPH (2 June 1922 - 5 June 1998) was the sheriff of Cuyahoga County from 1969 until 1976. He was the only REPUBLICAN to serve in that position in the twentieth century after FRED KOHLER was voted out of the public office in 1927. Kreiger was born in Massillon, Ohio, and received a degree in business administration from Kent State University.
The KRONHEIM FURNITURE CO. is one of Greater Cleveland's leading furniture stores. Founder Jacob Kronheim came to Cleveland in 1902 from Austria-Hungary and worked as an upholsterer until 1918, when he opened his own shop at Woodland Ave. and E. 37th St.
KRUMHOLZ, NORMAN (June 17, 1927-December 21, 2019) was Cleveland’s City Planning Director from 1969-1979 and a professor of urban affairs at CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY from 1979 until his death in 2019.
KUBINYI, KALMAN (29 June 1906-3 Sept. 1973) excelled in 2 artistic fields, moving from a reputation as Cleveland's preeminent printmaker to launch, in conjunction with his artist wife Doris Hall (5 Feb. 1907- ) a second career in enameling.
KUEKES, EDWARD DANIEL (2 Feb. 1901-13 Jan. 1987) won Cleveland journalism's only unshared Pulitzer Prize for his work as cartoonist for the Cleveland PLAIN DEALER. Ed Kuekes moved with his family from his native Pittsburgh, Pa., to BEREA in 1913.
The KULAS FOUNDATION, founded in 1937 by music patrons ELROY JOHN KULAS and his wife, Fynette Hill Kulas (d. 1957), has focused on MUSIC appreciation and music education in northeast Ohio, one of the few philanthropies to do so.
KULAS, ELROY JOHN (21 Mar. 1880-13 May 1952) prominent in the steel and railroad industries, founded the Midland Steel Products Co. and was a director of several railroads. He co-founded with his wife, Fynette Hill Kulas, The KULAS FOUNDATION and was an active supporter of and contributor to area music interests and higher education.
KULHANEK, JAMES CHARLES (23 April 1908-1 April 1990) a noted regional artist, was born in Cleveland the son of Anna (Veleba) and Vaclav Kulhanek who settled in Cleveland in the early 1900’s from their native Bohemia.
KUNDTZ, THEODOR (1 July 1852-14 Sept. 1937) was an inventor, manufacturer, financier, philanthropist, and patriarch of the Hungarian community.