Edward Filene

Edward Albert Filene was an American businessman and philanthropist. He is best known for building the Filenes department store chain and for his decisive role in pioneering credit unions across the United States.

Edward was one of five children of William Filene and Clara Ballin . William Filene was a German Jewish immigrant from Posen, Prussia, while Clara Ballin was born in Segnitz, Bavaria. William immigrated to the US in 1848 after abandoning law school in Berlin. It was some time in the 1850s that William and Clara met while Clara was visiting relatives in Hartford, Connecticut. They married in New York City. As a peddler, chiefly of womens apparel William built up a company composed of several small retail shops.

Source: Wikipedia