Sam M. Cohodas papers

Sam M. Cohodas was born on September 19, 1895 in Kobylnik, Poland. His father Aaron immigrated to the United States and moved to Marinette, Wisconsin. Aaron's wife Eva and six children followed in 1903 when Sam was 7 years old. Sam quit school in the sixth grade, and by the age of 13 began peddling fruits. He served in the United States Army during World War I.

The family produce business was established by Sam's father Aaron in Houghton, Michigan. The Cohodas Brothers Fruit Company was formed when Sam was nineteen and eventually became the third largest produce company in the United States. Sam Cohodas was involved in fruit and vegetable manufacturing for 60 years and served as president and vice president of Western Fruit Jobbers in 1933-1934, and as director of the International Apple Association.

Cohodas’s second major career began in banking in 1934 when he opened the Miners’ First National Bank of Ishpeming, Michigan. He eventually acquired the First National Bank of Marquette, as well as banks and branches in Escanaba, Hermansville, Iron Mountain, Ironwood, Trenary, and K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base, which together formed Michigan Financial Corporation (MFC) of which he remained chairman of the board until age 90.

Cohodas, or “Mr. Sam” as his friends often called him, was also known for his philanthropic and community activities. Locally, he was involved in such organizations as the Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America, and the United Way. He was instrumental in establishing Francis A. Bell Memorial Hospital in Ishpeming. In recognition of his work, he was named “First Citizen of Ishpeming” in 1960.

Cohodas was supportive of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel where he received an honorary doctorate of Agricultural Economics in recognition of his support. The University also named the Sam Cohodas Chair in Agricultural Economics at the Faculty of Agriculture in his honor. Cohodas was involved in many charity activities, including Boys Town in Jerusalem and Bell Memorial Hospital in Ishpeming, for which he raised $2 million. He also made contributions and/or helped raise funds for the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota), The Shaare Zedek Jewish Hospital (Detroit, Michigan), and the National Jewish Hospital (Denver, Colorado).

Cohodas died in 1988 at the age of 92.