Eric Pfeiffer Newman, son of Samuel Elijah Newman and Rose Lilienfeld Pfeiffer, was born in St. Louis Missouri on May 25, 1911. He attended John Burroughs School when it opened in 1923 graduating in 1927. Eric received his bachelor’s degree at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Massachusetts graduating in 1932. In 1933 Eric went to law school at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated in 1935. That year he became a lawyer working for Edison Brothers Stores. He eventually met founder Mark A. Edison’s daughter, Evelyn Frances Edison. The couple married on November 29, 1939 and witnessed the sinking of the Graf Spee on their honeymoon cruise.

During his childhood, Eric collected stamps even writing to Scott Nearing—a well-known stamp collector—requesting stamps. Eric also collected money, a passion that would last until his death. Featured in the magazine Coin World and a pioneer within the numismatic society, Eric wrote books and articles detailing the information he found about various coins and paper bills. The Fantastic 1804 Dollar written in 1962 was his first book. He also created the Money Museum at Washington University in St. Louis. On his 100th Birthday, Eric was given an award for his lifelong work with numismatics. His other hobbies included collecting drawings such as the Edwin Whitefield drawings and travelling.

A proud alum from MIT, Eric kept up to date about the technologies the college created and was even donated for a laboratory to be built and is named The Eric P. and Evelyn E. Newman Laboratory for Biomechanics and Human Rehabilitation.

Eric Pfeiffer Newman died November 15, 2017 at the age of 106 in Clayton, Missouri.

Known as the “Queen of St. Louis Fundraising”, Evelyn created various events and endeavors such as the St. Louis Book Fair in 1950 to benefit the Nursery Foundation, the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House at Faust Park, Little Shop Around the Corner benefitting the Botanical Garden, The Country Store benefitting the Missouri Historical Society, as well as many other fundraisers and charities. She received many awards for her work including the St. Louis Art Award (2003), St. Louis’ Ten Women of Achievement for 1959 (1960), and National Philanthropy Day Award (2003).

Evelyn eventually took this fundraising and created her own business with business partner Joan Van de Erve called Van de Erve and Newman and were responsible for events such as the Ice Cream Festival in 1979. Evelyn later created her own group known as the Evelyn E. Newman Group. Apart from her fundraising, Evelyn held jobs with Famous Barr and Edison Brothers Stores. Working for Famous Barr, Evelyn created Bird in Hand. When working with Edison Brothers Stores, Evelyn oversaw Edison clothing stores Joan Bari, 5-7-9 Petite Street Store, and Cover Story a magazine for women through Edison Brothers.

Evelyn Edison Newman died on September 1, 2015 in Clayton, Missouri.

Eric Pfeiffer Newman and Evelyn Edison Newman were avid travelers and travelled all around the world starting with their marriage in 1939 and ending in 2011.

Samuel Elijah Newmanwas born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1878 to Elijah Newman (1828-1894) and Fredricka Grunauer (1842-1918), the fourth of six children. After receiving his medical degree from Miami Medical College of Cincinnati in 1902. After going to the University of Berlin, Samuel moved to St. Louis in 1903 for his residency at Jewish Hospital St. Louis. St. Louis is where he met Rose Pfeiffer NewmanThe couple married in 1907 and bought land in 1921 at 6450 Cecil in Clayton Missouri. Drawing the plans himself, Samuel had a house built that the family owned until 2017.

A prominent St. Louis doctor, Samuel Newman was a proctologist known affectionately as “Rear Admiral” who wrote various medical articles from 1927 to 1943 and created a proctoscope marketed as “The Newman Protoscope” as well as other proctology instruments. Working first with Dr. Herman Tuhoske from 1904-1907, Samuel eventually spent 25 years working with his associates Dr. Jerome Cook, Dr. Paul Lowenstein, Dr. Herman Meyer, and Dr. Jacob Stolar.

Samuel died in 1943 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Rose Pfeiffer Newmanborn Rose Lilienfeld Pfeiffer in 1883 was the only child of Adolph Pfeiffer (1854-1918) -- a pharmacist, creator of S. Pfeiffer Manufacturing Co. and owner of the Edna Realty company-- and his wife Sadie Liliefeld (1857-1930) who immigrated to St. Louis circa 1880. Rose attended school in St. Louis graduating from St. Louis High School in 1898 and as an adult wrote articles for newspapers. A correspondent for the German newspaper, Deutsche Zeitung, Rose was able to get a reporter pass to enter the Louisiana Purchase Exposition or the 1904 World’s Fair.

In 1907 after her engagement to Samuel Elijah Newman, Rose was arrested for speeding in Forest Park and her trial made headlines in the city. In her adult life, Rose was a pianist and member and president from 1936-1937 of the Ladies Friday Musical Club, a club created by Lizzie Drey to give its members the ability to perform. Rose was also a member of the Pioneers, a literary club for Jewish women, and attended the 11th Triennial Convention for the National Council of Jewish Women in Washington D.C. in 1926. Rose was also a Suffragette creating skits and song parodies to give women the right to vote.

Antonio Maestre was born in Spain in 1848. In 1887 he married the sister of Sadie Lilienfeld, Lina Lilienfeld (1852-1932). They had two children Mercedes (1889-1919) and Sydney (1891- 1965). A businessman who travelled often for his work, Antonio Maestre died in Mexico in 1901.

Mark A. Edison was one of the founders of Edison Brothers Stores. Born in Valdosta, Georgia to Abraham Edison (1859-1944) and Sarah Rosenthal (1866-1938), Mark was the fourth of six children. In 1919, Mark married Ida Edison (1898-1950) settling in Georgia. Mark moved to St. Louis in 1929 with his wife and childrenJulian Irving Edison (1929-2017)andEvelyn Edison Newman (1920-2015). Mark Edison died of cancer in 1951 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Edison Brothers Stores was a prominent shoe company in St. Louis, Missouri. Started in Atlanta, Georgia in 1922, the Edison Brothers, Samuel, Harry, Irving, Mark, and Simon moved their company to St. Louis in 1929 to further the business. Edison Brothers first sold shoes through their stores Chandlers, Bakers, Leeds before branching out to other shoe stores Burts, Wild Pair, Precis, and Gussini. The store in the 1970s began selling clothing Edison Brothers Stores went through three generations until closing in 1999.

Julian Irving Edison was born in 1929 in Georgia, the son of Mark A. Edison (1895-1951) and Ida Edison (1898-1950). Julian Edison grew up in St. Louis, Missouri attending school at John Burroughs School. In 1947 he attended Harvard graduating in 1951. In 1974 he was elected chairman of Edison Brothers Stores before retiring from the company in 1987. He married Hope Rabb (1935) in 1959 with whom he had two sons, Mark (1961) and Aaron (1965). Known for his collection of miniature books, Julian wrote a newsletter titled Miniature Book News from 1965 until 2001 when it was merged with the Miniature Book Society Newsletter. He also served on various boards throughout St. Louis such as the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and the St. Louis Art Museum.

Julian Irving Edison died of a stroke on May 8, 2017.