Joseph E. Cole
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph E. Cole | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 4, 1914 |
| Died | January 8, 1995 (aged 81) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Employer | Cole National Corp. |
Joseph Edmund Cole (January 4, 1914 – January 8, 1995) was an American businessman. He was founder of Cole National Corp. and the final publisher of the Cleveland Press newspaper, as well as part-owner of the Cleveland Indians major league baseball team.
Cole was born January 4, 1914, in Cleveland, Ohio.[1] He began his career in 1926 working for the National Key Company in Cleveland.[2] After working for the company for seven years, he left to establish a retail key division of Curtis Industries, building it into the country's second-largest key company, after National Key.[2][3] In 1950, Cole purchased National Key as well as Curtis's key business, becoming the largest key retail business in the United States.[2][1] As the company grew, diversifying into such areas as car dealerships, the Things Remembered gift shop, and the Original Cookie Company, it was renamed Cole National Corp.[1]
In the 1950s, Cole became a minority owner of the Cleveland Indians (now "Guardians") baseball team; he twice attempted to purchase the team in its entirety, but was unsuccessful.[3]
In 1980, Cole purchased the struggling Cleveland Press newspaper.[3] He expanded the paper's publication to seven days, adding a Sunday edition, but ultimately the newspaper ceased publication in 1982.[1]