Robert Schoenhof Weil
Encyclopedia
Robert Schoenhof Weil is chairman emeritus of Weil Brothers-Cotton, Inc. He was President and Director of the American Cotton Shippers Association, and has served on the Boards of the Atlantic Cotton Association, the Liverpool, England, Cotton Association, and the New Orleans Cotton Exchange
. He has also served as a delegate to the National Cotton Council, International Federation of Cotton and Allied Textile Industries at London, International Cotton Advisory Committee
, and the White House Conference on Export Trade Expansion. Weil has worked with the United States Congress
and the Department of Agriculture in developing legislation and cotton policy.
His civic affairs background includes work with or philanthropy for: the American Cancer Society
, Salvation Army
, United Way, United Negro College Fund
, Eye Foundation Hospital of Birmingham, St. Margaret's Hospital in Montgomery, Auburn University
, Huntingdon College
, Dartmouth College
, and Wheaton College, Massachusetts. He is a founder of the Montgomery Academy
.
He has been on the boards of both the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
and the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra.
In 1994 Weil, along with his brother, was named co-"Citizen of the Year" by the Montgomery Advertiser.
was founded in 1856. Located in Harvard Square
, it is the oldest foreign-language bookseller in the United States
. It is reputed as having been a rendezvous point of Longfellow
, Ralph Waldo Emerson
, and Thoreau. Regardless of whether this was the case, Carl Shoenhof, owner of Schoenhof books, took pride in corresponding regularly with Charles Dickens
.
. Upon completion of the business program, he joined the US Army as a second lieutenant
. He married Virginia Loeb of Montgomery, Alabama in January 1942.
By taking a position at WBCI, Weil joined his brother, Adolph Jr., as the third generation of Weils at the company. The two brothers were made to start as "squidges;" essentially janitors for the sample room. A sample room is a room in a cotton trading firm's building where cotton samples are handled and evaluated. A large amount of loose cotton makes its way to the floor and must be cleaned sometimes several times in a day.
Weil's handling of the broom eventually changed into handling of samples and then into handling of accounts and sales. By 1949, he was making calls on mills overseas. And in 1968 he and Adolph, Jr. took over the business as president and chairman, respectively.
New Orleans Cotton Exchange
The New Orleans Cotton Exchange was established in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1871 as a centralized forum for the trade of cotton. It operated in New Orleans until closing in 1964...
. He has also served as a delegate to the National Cotton Council, International Federation of Cotton and Allied Textile Industries at London, International Cotton Advisory Committee
International Cotton Advisory Committee
The International Cotton Advisory Committee is an association of governments of cotton producing, consuming and trading countries which acts as the international commodity body for cotton and cotton textiles.-Structure and history:...
, and the White House Conference on Export Trade Expansion. Weil has worked with the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and the Department of Agriculture in developing legislation and cotton policy.
His civic affairs background includes work with or philanthropy for: the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
, Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, United Way, United Negro College Fund
United Negro College Fund
The United Negro College Fund is an American philanthropic organization that fundraises college tuition money for black students and general scholarship funds for 39 private historically black colleges and universities. The UNCF was incorporated on April 25, 1944 by Frederick D. Patterson , Mary...
, Eye Foundation Hospital of Birmingham, St. Margaret's Hospital in Montgomery, Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
, Huntingdon College
Huntingdon College
Huntingdon College, founded in 1854, is a coeducational liberal arts college in Montgomery, Alabama, United States. Related to the United Methodist Church, the college's central hallmarks are faith, wisdom, and service. The college is known for providing a solid academic experience based on good...
, Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, and Wheaton College, Massachusetts. He is a founder of the Montgomery Academy
Montgomery Academy
The Montgomery Academy is a non-sectarian independent day school located in Montgomery, Alabama. The school comprises two campuses. The Lower School accommodates kindergarten through fourth grade, and is located at 1550 Perry Hill Road. The Upper School campus, for the fifth through twelfth grades,...
.
He has been on the boards of both the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts is a museum located in Montgomery, Alabama, USA, featuring several art collections. For seventy years, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts has been a showcase for the visual arts in Central Alabama...
and the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra.
In 1994 Weil, along with his brother, was named co-"Citizen of the Year" by the Montgomery Advertiser.
Family
Robert Weil is one of four children of Adolph Weil and Rossie Weil (née Schoenhof). Adolph was a second generation partner and principal of Weil Brothers-Cotton, Inc. Rossie was the daughter of a bookstore owner from Boston. Schoenhof's Foreign BooksSchoenhof's Foreign Books
Schoenhof's Foreign Books is a specialty bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts, near Harvard Square. Founded in 1856, Schoenhof's claims to be the oldest foreign language book dealer in the United States and to offer the largest selection foreign language books in North America...
was founded in 1856. Located in Harvard Square
Harvard Square
Harvard Square is a large triangular area in the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, and John F. Kennedy Street. It is the historic center of Cambridge...
, it is the oldest foreign-language bookseller in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is reputed as having been a rendezvous point of Longfellow
Longfellow
Longfellow may refer to:* Longfellow, Minneapolis, United States** Longfellow , Minneapolis, United States* Longfellow, Oakland, California, United States* Longfellow , one of America's first great thoroughbred racehorses...
, Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
, and Thoreau. Regardless of whether this was the case, Carl Shoenhof, owner of Schoenhof books, took pride in corresponding regularly with Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
.
Early life
Weil graduated from Culver Military Academy at 16 and entered Dartmouth College in 1936. (He had skipped second and fourth grades.) In 1940, he began study at Harvard Business SchoolHarvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
. Upon completion of the business program, he joined the US Army as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. He married Virginia Loeb of Montgomery, Alabama in January 1942.
Career
Weil joined Weil Brothers-Cotton, Inc. not long after the end of the Second World War. At the time, he was to work for his father and his uncle. As the story goes, Weil had to negotiate his salary with his uncle rather than Adolph. This caused a bit of a stir. But it also initiated Weil into the trading aspect of the business. "Cotton men" are notoriously difficult negotiators.By taking a position at WBCI, Weil joined his brother, Adolph Jr., as the third generation of Weils at the company. The two brothers were made to start as "squidges;" essentially janitors for the sample room. A sample room is a room in a cotton trading firm's building where cotton samples are handled and evaluated. A large amount of loose cotton makes its way to the floor and must be cleaned sometimes several times in a day.
Weil's handling of the broom eventually changed into handling of samples and then into handling of accounts and sales. By 1949, he was making calls on mills overseas. And in 1968 he and Adolph, Jr. took over the business as president and chairman, respectively.