Title: Samuel Ullman and "Youth"
Description: For many years Samuel Ullman (1840-1924) and his prose poem "Youth" have been known and admired among the Japanese. But both the man and his work are largely unknown in the United States, even in Alabama where he spent the last 40 years of his life in service to the city of Birmingham, devoting his energies especially to the development of educational opportunities for both black and white children. From the days when a framed copy of "Youth" hung on the wall of General Douglas MacArthur's office in Tokyo to the moment, decades later when the founder of Panasonic found inspiration in the poem, "Youth" has provided encouragement to hundreds of Japanese citizens. Americans, too, are beginning to respond to the positive message of "Youth" and are curious about its author. It was that expressed curiosity in the United States and Japan that led Margaret Armbrester to write about the life and times of Samuel Ullman.

Ullman was born in Germany, came to the United States at the age of eleven, and settled in Port Gibson, Mississippi. After serving briefly in the Confederate Army, he took up residence in Natchez where he married, started a business, served as a city alderman, and was a member of the local board of education. In 1884, upon moving to the booming city of Birmingham, Alabama, Ullman was placed on that city's first board of education where, during his 18 years of service, he advocated educational benefits for black children similar to those provided for whites. While sitting on that board, Ullman also served as president and then lay rabbi of the city's reform congregation at Temple Emanu-El. Often controversial but always respected, Ullman left his mark on the religious, educational, and community life of the cities of Natchez and Birmingham.

In his retirement he began to write poetry and left a body of over 50 poems and poetic essays that cover subjects as varied as love, nature, the hurried lifestyle of a friend, death, dying, and living "young." It is appropriate that "Youth" is the element that brought Ullman's life into public scrutiny. The message of "Youth" - its optimism and its challenge - reflects the substance of Ullman's life. Spanning the experience of Jewish immigrant, vanquished soldier, and progressive community activist, Samuel Ullman and "Youth": The Life, the Legacy tells the story of one man's vision that continues to affect people decades after his death.
Subjects: American Poets, American poetry, Appreciation, Biography, Businesspeople, Poets, biography, Businesspeople, biography, Businessmen
Places: Japan, United States
People: Samuel Ullman (1840-1924)
Time periods: 20th century