1674-3 Mitchell Wolfson A WOMETCO BiogRAphy
MITCHELL WOLFSON ,1
—P-RESIDENT
WOMETCO ENTERPRISES, INC.
A native Floridian (born in Key West, September 13, 1900) ,
Mitchell Wolfson is the son of Louis and Rosa (Gruner) Wolfson.
He was married January 27 , 1926 to Frances Louise Cohen of Pen-
sacola, Florida. The Wolfsons have three children: Louis
Wolfson II, Frances Wolfson Cary, and Mitchell Wolfson, Jr . ,
and five grandchildren.
He began his business career in Miami with the East Coast
Wholesale Corporation which was founded by his father in 1884 in
Key West. He became treasurer of that company in 1917 . In 1922
he became president of the Wolfson-Meyer Real Estate Firm. This
company became Wometco Theatres in 1924 with Wolfson as president
and co-owner . Over the next four decades Wometco Theatres grew
to become the largest theatre chain in Florida.
Wolfson became a television broadcasting pioneer in 1948
when he obtained a permit from the Federal Communications Com-
mission to build and operate WTVJ, Channel 4, in Miami . This
station went on the air in 1949 with Wolfson as president. It
was the first television station in the State of Florida.
Since that time, Wometco has expanded its operations in the
leisure-time business, selling services or goods that are expend-
able and affordable . These include: two additional television
stations , Coca-Cola and other soft drink bottling plants , drink-
ing/distilled water company, automatic vending and industrial
food service companies , a chain of quick-service restaurants,
closed circuit television, film production and processing com-
panies , the largest manufacturers of commercial glass slides in
the country, an outdoor advertising company, and the Miami Sea-
quarium---one of America ' s top tourist attractions. Geographi-
cally, Wometco criss-crosses the North American continent, from
Alaska through Miami, throughout the Caribbean, then back through
the South to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada .
Wometco Enterprises , Inc. , began trading on the New York
Stock Exchange July 7, 1965, under the symbol WOM.
While Wolfson is known for his business interests, he is
equally known throughout Florida and the nation for his civic
and humanitarian endeavors . He was elected to the Miami Beach
City Council in 1939, re-elected in 1941 and again in 1943,
when, after polling the highest number of votes, he was chosen
WOMETCO
ENTERPRISES
INC.
F_
omega.
MITCHELL WOLFSON
BIOGRAPHY
PAGE TWO
mayor of that city. He resigned as mayor to enlist in the U. S .
Army and served in England, Africa, France, Germany and Austria
and was honorably discharged from the Sixth Army Group at the
end of the war as a lieutenant colonel. He was cited for meri-
torious duty above and beyond normal activity and was authorized
the EAME Theatre Ribbon with five battle stars, the U.S . Bronze
Star, and the French Croix de Guerre .
Upon returning to civilian life, Wolfson again became active
in civic affairs and in business and trade associations . The
following are representative of the many civic activities to
which he has devoted his time ,and energy:
Chairman, City of Miami Off-Street Parking Authority
Member, Downtown Miami Government Center Policy Committee
Chairman, Board of Trustees, Miami-Dade Junior College
Trustee , Mount Sinai Hospital
Director, and Member, Executive Board - National Association
of Theatre Owners
Director, Motion Picture Exhibitors of Florida
Chairman of the Board , Miami Beach Federal Savings and
Loan Association
Director, Southeast Bancorporation , Inc.
Director, First Foreign Investment Corporation
Director, English Speaking Union of Miami
President, Beaver Lake Golf Course , Asheville
Member, Board of Directors, Hialeah Race Course
Member , Orange Bowl Committee
Member, Executive Committee and Board of Governors,
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce
Member, by appointment of the Governor , Metropolitan
Charter Board (work completed)
Member, Dade County National Convention Committee
Member, National Association of Museums
Member , Asheville Country Club
Member, Harmonie Club of New York
Member, Mahi Shrine Temple
Member, Elks
Member, Viscayans
Member, Miami Club
Member, Variety Club of Greater Miami
Member, Miami Beach Rotary Club (Life Member)
Member, River Club, Jacksonville
Member , South Florida Council, Inc. , Boy Scouts of America
Member , Westview Golf and Country Club
Member, Miami Beach Taxpayers Association
Member, Two Hundred Club
Member, Thoroughbred Club
MITCHELL WOLFSON
BIOGRAPHY
PAGE FOUR
Of all of Mitchell Wolfson' s activities, none is closer
to his heart than his joint endeavors with Mrs. Wolfson in the
restoration of the Audubon House in Key West, Florida. The
Audubon House was the home of Capt. John H. Geiger built in
Key Westin the very early years of the 19th century. John
James Audubon stayed in this home during his Key West visit in
the 1830 ' s to paint the birds"of Florida. The deteriorated
structure was scheduled to be demolished in 1959. But, the
Mitchell Wolfson Foundation saved and restored the home to its
original beauty and refurnished it with authentic furniture of
the Audubon period. It was further enhanced with the acquisi-
tion of a complete set of extremely rare "Elephant Folios" -
435 reproductions of Audubon' s paintings of Birds of America .
The restoration of the Audubon House has received wide acclaim
for having sparked a restoration movement throughout the Florida
Keys, which is destined to return Key West to the lustre of its
early years and make it one of the historically authentic show-
places of the nation. The Audubon House is officially recog-
nized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as "a
gem of American Restoration. "
Wolfson resides at 5030 North Bay Road, Miami Beach,
Florida, and in the summer months at his estate, Milofran, in
Asheville, North Carolina.
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