Fred Benioff was born in NYC, 8 April, 1892.
He married Helen Louellen Harris on May 4, 1924. She attended the University of California, graduating in 1924 (she wanted to be a doctor but her father did not approve). They went to Europe on the S.S. Berengaria for their wedding trip. Eventually, they settled in San Francisco, and had two sons, Russell and Alexis. For much of their short marriage they lived apart, and often the boys were cared for by Helen’s parents, Minnie and Zophiel. Because Alexis had numbers ear infections, causing his ear drums to be lanced repeatedly, they moved to Palo Alto in 1928. They got a puppy named Jippy. Russell got the nickname “Bumper” because he fell first out of a tree and then into a neighbor’s fish pond getting a lump on his forehead each time. In 1932, during the depression, they moved back to San Francisco to a house at Webster and Marina Blvd. Both parents worked. Jippy got killed chasing a car on Marina Blvd. They had a live-in housekeeper named Peter Tom. The kids ate apart from their parents.
“As far as I know, Fred Benioff left the business in Allentown in 1919 and was never formally affiliated with if after that. I visited the Allentown store in the late 1980s and visited with Shim, Abe, and Abe’s daughter Anne.
Based on that conversation and subsequent research, I think the story goes something like this: Fred learned the fur trade from his father and may also have worked for family in New York City. Sometime around 1912, Fred started working in Allentown and had his own business. Isaac had been spending winters in New York but most likely began to work with Fred in Allentown by 1915. Isaac (and maybe others in the family) kept the Allentown operation going when Fred left for the Army in 1918.
He was in France when the war ended and wrote/wired to say that he was planning to stay in Europe and offered to sell the Allentown business to Isaac. Isaac accepted and the whole Viola family moved to Allentown in 1919.
In the end, Fred stayed in Europe only briefly. He was probably in California by 1920. He registered to vote in San Francisco in 1921. At that point, I think he was in partnership in Benioff Brothers with his older brother David. That partnership ended in 1924 [the year he married Helen Harris]. Fred struck out on his own with Fred Benioff Furs.”
—Charles Salkin, 26 September, 2023
After much public wrangling in the courts, Fred and Helen divorced in 1941.
He married Sarah H. Smullen in ?
Fred Benioff died on 9 June, 1967, while vacationing in British Columbia, at the age of 75. He donated his body to the University of Washington Hospital in Seattle.
Notes Regarding Page 2.
Herman Harris was the grand father of Fred’s first wife Helen Louellen Harris.
“in a 4 door Coal 8” – I think he is referring to the Cole V-8 Coupe – see photo
Notes Regarding Page 3.
Argylle Press ???…
Rosensweig The farm in Viola was probably that owned by Isaac Benioff, Al’s uncle. Moved to LA on Aug 9, 1900 Uncle Simon is Simon Benioff, a ladies tailor “mother and dad, and the rest of the family, except Simon, came to L.A. in 1905. – This Simon is Al’s brother Simon Horowitz. “mother and I were married in 1909” – Mother is Hilda Topper (1889-1975). “Blanche’s father Mr. Sofsky” – Blanche Sofsky Heany was Al Horowitz’s daughter Bettie’s mother-in-law. Bettie married George Albert Heaney. “Russian section on East 1st Street, near L.A. Soap Co.” – In those days Russians lived in Boyle Heights and Claremont….so I am guessing this was in Boyle Heights – actually on 1st street between Vignes and Alameda Streets – not exactly Boyle Heights (L.A. Soap Co.). In 1905 there is an article about a confederate bill passed to M. Horowitz at 363 East First Street; by 1908 the family was living at 922 West First Street. In 1910 they were living at 4414 Long Beach Ave. At some point Al started a store at 322 E. First Street, as noted here.
Fred’s first wife was born December 31, 1902 in San Francisco, to Zophiel Herman aka Harris and Minnie Haas. She had a brother Homer Harris. She attended UC Berkeley in 1924 where she was captain of the women’s crew team and a member of the Phi Mu Delta sorority. She married Fred in 1924 in the Red Room of the Fairmont hotel. The two sailed to Europe for their honeymoon on the SS Berengaria 10 days later.
She became president of Fred Benioff Co. in 1939. The two were divorced in 1942 but she continued as president of the company until 1959. In addition she was the first woman board member of the Jewish Welfare Federation in San Francisco. Her mother Minnie Haas Harris also served as president of the Fred Benioff Co.
Text…
