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Ullman Samuel 1840 - 1924 (84)

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Samuel Ullman (1840 - 1924) was an American businessman, poet, and humanist best known today for his poem "Youth", which was a favorite of General Douglas MacArthur; he had hung it on his office wall in Tokyo when he was Supreme Allied Commander in Japan, sparking Japanese interest fro the poet.

Born on April 13, 1840 in Hechingen, Germany to Jewish parents, Ullman immigrated with his family to America at the age of eleven to escape anti-Semitism. When he grow up, he served briefly in the Confederate Army and then became a resident of Natchez, Mississippi. There, he married, started a business, served as a city councilor and was a member of the local education council. In 1884 he moved to the newly built city of Birmingham, Alabama and was immediately placed on the city's first board of education.

During his eighteen years of service, he advocated educational benefits for black children similar to those provided for whites and participated in numerous community activities. Ullman also served as president and then rabbi of the city's Reformed Church.

After retiring, he found more time for one of his favorite passions, writing. He began to write letters, essays and poetry on topics as love, nature, religion, family. His poem "Youth" gained great publicity.

He died on March 21, 1924.