Fred Haddad
Born(1921-01-18)January 18, 1921
Boone County, West Virginia, US
DiedJanuary 13, 2003(2003-01-13) (aged 81)
Charleston, West Virginia, US
OccupationBusinessman
Known forCo-founding Heck's
SpouseVivian Marie Summers
Children2, Susan Lee Haddad and Frederick Lawrence "Larry" Haddad Jr.

Frederick Lawrence Haddad (January 18, 1921 – January 13, 2003) was a prominent Arab-American businessman who was a co-founder and President of Heck's, a major discount retail chain in West Virginia and neighboring states.

Life

Haddad was born into a Syro-Lebanese Orthodox Christian family in 1921 in Clothier, West Virginia, the son of Nathan Makoul Haddad of Beirut (then Syria) and Sarah Emma David of South Dakota. His father Nathan immigrated to West Virginia in 1909 with his four brothers. The Haddad family owned a clothing store in Madison, West Virginia, for years. The Haddad family were among a number of Syrian and Lebanese immigrants to the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s who began their careers as peddlers and merchants, working their way to the top by the second generation. According to Fred's father Nathan, "We planned it that way...Most of us came here with no education, no knowledge of the language, and no money. We didn't expect to reach the top ourselves, but we certainly meant to give our children every chance to do it."[1]

Career

In 1959, Haddad co-founded Heck's along with Tommy Ellis, Lester Ellis, and Doug Cook.[2] Heck's stands for Haddad, Ellis and Cook. Haddad served as President of Heck's from 1959 until his retirement in the 1980s. Heck's became a national pioneer in discount retailing before going bankrupt in the late 1980s.[3] Haddad retired as chairman of the board of Heck's in 1983.[4]

In the late 1980s, Haddad and a consortium of four other businessmen purchased the Silver Creek resort (now part of Snowshoe Mountain) and in turn sold it to two Charleston realtors.[5]

Politics

Haddad was a member of the West Virginia Republican Party. In 1967, he ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Charleston, West Virginia.[6]

Legacy

During the early 1990s, the Haddad Riverfront Park in Charleston, West Virginia was constructed as a gift from Fred Haddad. The new park removed riverfront parking to make way for a stage and seating for live performances and other events. The park transformed the levee into a local attraction.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Arabs in America: The Native Sons". Aramco World. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  2. ↑ "A Reflection on 2019" (PDF). Boone County Community Foundation. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  3. ↑ "Lebanese and Syrians". The West Virginia Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  4. ↑ "Haddad Retires From Heck's Retail". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  5. ↑ "Merger of Snowshoe and Silver Creek". West Virginia Archives & History. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  6. ↑ "Hacking to Hagenston". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  7. ↑ "Looking Back at the Levee". Charleston Home & Living. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
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