William Ungar facts for kids

William Ungar (January 21, 1913 – September 19, 2013) was an amazing person who was born in Poland. He was an author, someone who helped others (a philanthropist), and a survivor of the Holocaust. He also started a big company called National Envelope Corporation.

Early Life and World War II

William was born into a Jewish family in Poland. He used to teach at a technical high school.

During World War II, he bravely fought with the Polish Army and was injured. When the German Army took over his home, he stayed hidden. A Catholic friend gave him special papers that helped him stay safe.

Sadly, he was found by the Gestapo (a secret police group) and sent to a concentration camp called Janowska in Lviv. He managed to escape! He went back home, and his Ukrainian landlord hid him for nine months in a small space under the house. In 1944, the city was freed by the Red Army.

Life in America and Business Success

William came to America in 1946. He arrived on a ship called the SS Marine Flasher. It was the first ship carrying people who had been displaced by the war to reach American shores after World War II.

He worked at a company that made envelope machines during the day and studied at night. In 1952, he finished college with a degree in mechanical engineering. After that, he bought several machines for making envelopes and started his own company, the National Envelope Corporation. He worked hard and made his company one of the biggest privately owned envelope producers in the United States.

William also wrote two books. His first book, Destined to Live, was published in 2000. His second book, "Only in America," is about how he became successful in business. He received many awards for his achievements in business and for his helpful actions. These awards include the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the National Entrepreneur of the Year award in 1996.

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

William Ungar cared a lot about helping others. He helped create the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. This museum teaches people about the Holocaust.

He also helped start Yad l'Yeled, which is the Children Holocaust Museum. He also helped create the Ungar School of Holocaust Studies. Both of these are located in Israel at Kibbutz Lohamei HaGeta'ot. The Ungar School teaches young Arab, Muslim, and Jewish Israelis about the lessons from the Holocaust. It also trains teachers from all over the world.

Family Life

In 1950, William married Jerry Schweitzer. She was also Jewish and secretly supported a Jewish group called Haganah. This group was fighting for Israel's independence. Jerry helped by taking apart equipment used to make ammunition and sending the pieces to Israel.

William and Jerry had four daughters: Florette, Joan, Denise, and Rita. They also had 17 grandchildren. William once met the Pope with other Jewish leaders. He said, "Imagine that. I grew up in a small Polish village of anti-Semites and survived the Holocaust. Now, Hitler is in hell, and I get to meet with the Pope." This shows how far he had come from his difficult past.