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Biographical Profile of Richard Morris Mann on the occasion of his Centennial Birthday.
Richard Morris Mann was born on March 8, 1914, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was the second child of Richard Matison Mann (1874-1924) and Grace Starks Mann (8/11/1886 – 8/23/1981), born in what was called the City and County Hospital (later Ancker Hospital) in St. Paul, MN. His other siblings included an older sister Laura Mae, and younger sisters Helen and twins Pearl and Jewel.
Richard Mann was a citizen of the Twin Cities. While he was born in St. Paul, his parents moved to Minneapolis and back to St. Paul on occasion. While his parents lived in Minneapolis, he attended kindergarten and elementary school there through 6th grade.
He attended Bryant Junior High School at 38th and 3rd Avenue for two years, then his family moved back to St. Paul. While he was living in St. Paul, he joined the Boy Scouts Troop 55 at St. James AME Church, along with several other boys in the Rondo neighborhood.
He attended Marshall Junior High School, then went to St. Paul Central High School. His family then moved back to Minneapolis, where he enrolled in and graduated from Central High School in Minneapolis in 1935.
After high school, Mr. Mann wanted to attend the University of Minnesota, but was unable to afford the costs. His father died when he was just 11-years-old, and his mother worked to support her five children as best as she could.
He worked to support himself and to contribute the support of his siblings, doing whatever jobs he could obtain. He found employment in his grandfather's barbershop on Grand Avenue (near Macalester College) shining shoes, he worked as a car polisher, and as a porter in fashionable clothing store (Godnick and Fassbinder on Nicollet Avenue).
He was able to negotiate with his employer that if he brought in Black customers, he would receive 5% commission on any sale that was made, in addition to his salary as a porter in the store. He brought in such luminaries as Gordon Parks and Lester Young who made clothing purchases at the store. This work experience also was instructive to him for learning how to dress well and tastefully, a trait he reflected for all occasions.
Mr. Mann was also able to persuade his employer to advertise in the local Black newspaper (The Minneapolis Spokesman/St. Paul Recorder).
Mr. Mann later became a successful entrepreneur as co-owner of a very popular nightclub in 1947 located in Roseville, MN. The club, called Treasure Inn, was located outside of the Black community at Rice St. and Larpenteur.
It became successful because it featured the best local hot music in the Twin Cities, including such local artists as the Percy Hughes Band and Prince Rogers, father of the celebrated entertainer Prince. Treasure Inn also drew widely from the college crowd—U of M, Hamline, Macalester College and the University of St. Thomas. The club closed in 1949.
In 1950, in partnership with Ed Salter, they opened the Chatsworth Inn, a 3-2 beer tavern in the Rondo neighborhood. The business initially did well with a steady stream of customers who worked at different facilities during the war years.
As these plants closed down, fewer customers come to the tavern. By this time, Mr. Mann had a growing family, and he needed a steady income to support them. He made application at the Post Office and passed the test. He sold his interest in the tavern business, and he concentrated his time and efforts at the Post Office.
Mr. Mann started working regularly for the Post Office in 1953 and held several positions there. In 1970 and 1971, he was the EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) Counselor for the Main Post Office in downtown St. Paul. He retired from the Post Office in 1983 after 30 years of service.
Mr. Mann was active in community organizations. In 1949 he became a member of the Sterling Club, a social, civic and charitable organization established in 1919 in St. Paul. The Sterling Club works cooperatively with other organizations to provide beneficial activities and programs for the African-American community.
The Club also provides leadership in the community. Mr. Mann served as a past President of the Club. He was also a member of the Forty Club, as well as TSTC.
He was an Episcopalian and was a long-time member of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, formerly known as St. Philip's Episcopal Church of St. Paul. For many years he served as the Junior Warden and as a volunteer Sexton. It was in his 90's that he passed that task on to younger men in the church.
Mr. Mann was married twice. He had three children by his first wife, Ann Elizabeth Seymour: Richard John Mann (1945), Stephen Turner Mann (1948), and Margo Grace Mann (1950). He also had a stepson, Adolph Jerry Thomas (deceased). He was married to his second wife, Mildred for over 50 years. In the later years of their marriage, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
He took loving care of her every day while she suffered with Alzheimer's disease. She died in 2012 at age 92 at the Episcopal Home in St. Paul where she had been a resident during the final years of her life.
Mr. Mann continued to carry on solo in his home doing chores, driving, cooking, exercising, going to church, and golfing. He is believed to be the oldest registered golfer in a St. Paul, MN golf league and had planned to keep playing for as long as he could.
Only in the last three years in his home did he give up walking the golf course in favor of riding in the cart. He moved into the memory-care unit of Lilydale Senior Living in February of 2017, he was 102-years-old.
In honor of Mr. Mann's 90th birthday, he and his family members established the Richard Morris Mann Scholarship to benefit graduating African-American high school seniors attending college.
This scholarship was awarded to selected recipients annually at their graduation. The fund was transferred to the Page Education Foundation in 2017.
Mr. Richard Morris Mann was a delightful gentleman to be around. He was independent, shared his life perspectives willingly, and always greeted you with a smile. After a wonderful life of 107 years, he died peacefully during his afternoon nap at Lilydale Senior Living on Sunday, January 2, 2022.
Published on January 16, 2022, StarTribune.com
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Profile page on "African American Registry", AARERG, aaregistry.org:
Richard Mann was born on this date in 1914. He was a retired Black businessman and community activist.
Richard Morris Mann was born in the Rondo Community of St. Paul, Minnesota. He was the second child of Richard Matison Mann and Grace Starks Mann. His other siblings included an older sister Laura Mae, and younger sisters Helen and twins Pearl and Jewel. His parents moved the family to Minneapolis where he attended kindergarten and elementary school there through 6th grade.
His father died when he was 11 years old, and his mother worked to support her 5 children as best as she could. He attended Bryant Junior High School, then his family moved back to St. Paul. Mann joined the Boy Scouts Troop 55 at St. James AME Church and attended Marshall Junior High and St. Paul Central High School. His family then moved back to Minneapolis, where he enrolled in and graduated from Central High School in Minneapolis in 1935. After high school, Mann was unable to afford the costs of the University of Minnesota. He worked to support himself and his siblings, doing whatever jobs he could obtain.
He found employment in his grandfather's barbershop shining shoes, he worked as a car polisher, and as a porter in fashionable Minneapolis clothing store. There, he negotiated with his employer that if he brought in Black customers, he would receive 5% commission on any sale that was made, in addition to his salary as a porter in the store. He brought in such luminaries as Gordon Parks and Lester Young who made clothing purchases at the store. This work experience also was instructive to him for learning how to dress well and tastefully, a trait he reflects for all occasions. He also persuaded his employer to advertise in the local Black newspaper (The Minneapolis Spokesman).
In 1947, Mann later became a successful entrepreneur as co-owner of a popular nightclub called Treasure Inn. They featured the best local music in the Twin Cities, including the Percy Hughes Band and Prince Rogers, father of Prince. The club closed in 1949. In 1950, in partnership with Ed Salter, they opened the Chatsworth Inn, a 3-2 beer tavern in the Rondo neighborhood. The business initially did well with a steady stream of customers who worked at different facilities during the war years. He sold his interest in the tavern business and concentrated his time and efforts at the Post Office position he had acquired. He started working regularly for the Post Office in 1953 and held several positions there. In 1970 and 1971, he was the EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) Counselor of the St. Paul Post Office. He retired from the Post Office in 1983 after 30 years of service.
Mann was active in community organizations. In 1949 he became a member of the Sterling Club, a social, civic and charitable organization established in 1919 in St. Paul. The Sterling Club works cooperatively with other organizations to provide beneficial activities and programs for the Black community. The Club also provides leadership in the community. Mann served as past President of the Club. He is a long-time member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, formerly known as St. Philip's Episcopal Church of St. Paul. For many years he served as Junior Warden and as volunteer Sexton. It was in his 90's that he passed that task on to younger men in the church.
In honor of Mr. Mann's 90th birthday, he and his family members established the Richard Morris Mann Scholarship to benefit graduating African American high school seniors attending college. This scholarship is awarded to selected recipients annually at their graduation. Richard Mann has been married twice. He has 3 children, Richard, Stephen and Margo. He also had a stepson, Jerry Thomas (deceased). At the age of 103, he continued to live independently. He is believed to be the oldest registered golfer in a St. Paul, MN golf league.
He frequently walked the course in favor of riding in the golf-cart. Richard Morris Mann died on January 6, 2022.
**************************************
Biographical Profile of Richard Morris Mann on the occasion of his Centennial Birthday.
Richard Morris Mann was born on March 8, 1914, in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was the second child of Richard Matison Mann (1874-1924) and Grace Starks Mann (8/11/1886 – 8/23/1981), born in what was called the City and County Hospital (later Ancker Hospital) in St. Paul, MN. His other siblings included an older sister Laura Mae, and younger sisters Helen and twins Pearl and Jewel.
Richard Mann was a citizen of the Twin Cities. While he was born in St. Paul, his parents moved to Minneapolis and back to St. Paul on occasion. While his parents lived in Minneapolis, he attended kindergarten and elementary school there through 6th grade.
He attended Bryant Junior High School at 38th and 3rd Avenue for two years, then his family moved back to St. Paul. While he was living in St. Paul, he joined the Boy Scouts Troop 55 at St. James AME Church, along with several other boys in the Rondo neighborhood.
He attended Marshall Junior High School, then went to St. Paul Central High School. His family then moved back to Minneapolis, where he enrolled in and graduated from Central High School in Minneapolis in 1935.
After high school, Mr. Mann wanted to attend the University of Minnesota, but was unable to afford the costs. His father died when he was just 11-years-old, and his mother worked to support her five children as best as she could.
He worked to support himself and to contribute the support of his siblings, doing whatever jobs he could obtain. He found employment in his grandfather's barbershop on Grand Avenue (near Macalester College) shining shoes, he worked as a car polisher, and as a porter in fashionable clothing store (Godnick and Fassbinder on Nicollet Avenue).
He was able to negotiate with his employer that if he brought in Black customers, he would receive 5% commission on any sale that was made, in addition to his salary as a porter in the store. He brought in such luminaries as Gordon Parks and Lester Young who made clothing purchases at the store. This work experience also was instructive to him for learning how to dress well and tastefully, a trait he reflected for all occasions.
Mr. Mann was also able to persuade his employer to advertise in the local Black newspaper (The Minneapolis Spokesman/St. Paul Recorder).
Mr. Mann later became a successful entrepreneur as co-owner of a very popular nightclub in 1947 located in Roseville, MN. The club, called Treasure Inn, was located outside of the Black community at Rice St. and Larpenteur.
It became successful because it featured the best local hot music in the Twin Cities, including such local artists as the Percy Hughes Band and Prince Rogers, father of the celebrated entertainer Prince. Treasure Inn also drew widely from the college crowd—U of M, Hamline, Macalester College and the University of St. Thomas. The club closed in 1949.
In 1950, in partnership with Ed Salter, they opened the Chatsworth Inn, a 3-2 beer tavern in the Rondo neighborhood. The business initially did well with a steady stream of customers who worked at different facilities during the war years.
As these plants closed down, fewer customers come to the tavern. By this time, Mr. Mann had a growing family, and he needed a steady income to support them. He made application at the Post Office and passed the test. He sold his interest in the tavern business, and he concentrated his time and efforts at the Post Office.
Mr. Mann started working regularly for the Post Office in 1953 and held several positions there. In 1970 and 1971, he was the EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) Counselor for the Main Post Office in downtown St. Paul. He retired from the Post Office in 1983 after 30 years of service.
Mr. Mann was active in community organizations. In 1949 he became a member of the Sterling Club, a social, civic and charitable organization established in 1919 in St. Paul. The Sterling Club works cooperatively with other organizations to provide beneficial activities and programs for the African-American community.
The Club also provides leadership in the community. Mr. Mann served as a past President of the Club. He was also a member of the Forty Club, as well as TSTC.
He was an Episcopalian and was a long-time member of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, formerly known as St. Philip's Episcopal Church of St. Paul. For many years he served as the Junior Warden and as a volunteer Sexton. It was in his 90's that he passed that task on to younger men in the church.
Mr. Mann was married twice. He had three children by his first wife, Ann Elizabeth Seymour: Richard John Mann (1945), Stephen Turner Mann (1948), and Margo Grace Mann (1950). He also had a stepson, Adolph Jerry Thomas (deceased). He was married to his second wife, Mildred for over 50 years. In the later years of their marriage, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
He took loving care of her every day while she suffered with Alzheimer's disease. She died in 2012 at age 92 at the Episcopal Home in St. Paul where she had been a resident during the final years of her life.
Mr. Mann continued to carry on solo in his home doing chores, driving, cooking, exercising, going to church, and golfing. He is believed to be the oldest registered golfer in a St. Paul, MN golf league and had planned to keep playing for as long as he could.
Only in the last three years in his home did he give up walking the golf course in favor of riding in the cart. He moved into the memory-care unit of Lilydale Senior Living in February of 2017, he was 102-years-old.
In honor of Mr. Mann's 90th birthday, he and his family members established the Richard Morris Mann Scholarship to benefit graduating African-American high school seniors attending college.
This scholarship was awarded to selected recipients annually at their graduation. The fund was transferred to the Page Education Foundation in 2017.
Mr. Richard Morris Mann was a delightful gentleman to be around. He was independent, shared his life perspectives willingly, and always greeted you with a smile. After a wonderful life of 107 years, he died peacefully during his afternoon nap at Lilydale Senior Living on Sunday, January 2, 2022.
Published on January 16, 2022, StarTribune.com
********************************
Profile page on "African American Registry", AARERG, aaregistry.org:
Richard Mann was born on this date in 1914. He was a retired Black businessman and community activist.
Richard Morris Mann was born in the Rondo Community of St. Paul, Minnesota. He was the second child of Richard Matison Mann and Grace Starks Mann. His other siblings included an older sister Laura Mae, and younger sisters Helen and twins Pearl and Jewel. His parents moved the family to Minneapolis where he attended kindergarten and elementary school there through 6th grade.
His father died when he was 11 years old, and his mother worked to support her 5 children as best as she could. He attended Bryant Junior High School, then his family moved back to St. Paul. Mann joined the Boy Scouts Troop 55 at St. James AME Church and attended Marshall Junior High and St. Paul Central High School. His family then moved back to Minneapolis, where he enrolled in and graduated from Central High School in Minneapolis in 1935. After high school, Mann was unable to afford the costs of the University of Minnesota. He worked to support himself and his siblings, doing whatever jobs he could obtain.
He found employment in his grandfather's barbershop shining shoes, he worked as a car polisher, and as a porter in fashionable Minneapolis clothing store. There, he negotiated with his employer that if he brought in Black customers, he would receive 5% commission on any sale that was made, in addition to his salary as a porter in the store. He brought in such luminaries as Gordon Parks and Lester Young who made clothing purchases at the store. This work experience also was instructive to him for learning how to dress well and tastefully, a trait he reflects for all occasions. He also persuaded his employer to advertise in the local Black newspaper (The Minneapolis Spokesman).
In 1947, Mann later became a successful entrepreneur as co-owner of a popular nightclub called Treasure Inn. They featured the best local music in the Twin Cities, including the Percy Hughes Band and Prince Rogers, father of Prince. The club closed in 1949. In 1950, in partnership with Ed Salter, they opened the Chatsworth Inn, a 3-2 beer tavern in the Rondo neighborhood. The business initially did well with a steady stream of customers who worked at different facilities during the war years. He sold his interest in the tavern business and concentrated his time and efforts at the Post Office position he had acquired. He started working regularly for the Post Office in 1953 and held several positions there. In 1970 and 1971, he was the EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) Counselor of the St. Paul Post Office. He retired from the Post Office in 1983 after 30 years of service.
Mann was active in community organizations. In 1949 he became a member of the Sterling Club, a social, civic and charitable organization established in 1919 in St. Paul. The Sterling Club works cooperatively with other organizations to provide beneficial activities and programs for the Black community. The Club also provides leadership in the community. Mann served as past President of the Club. He is a long-time member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, formerly known as St. Philip's Episcopal Church of St. Paul. For many years he served as Junior Warden and as volunteer Sexton. It was in his 90's that he passed that task on to younger men in the church.
In honor of Mr. Mann's 90th birthday, he and his family members established the Richard Morris Mann Scholarship to benefit graduating African American high school seniors attending college. This scholarship is awarded to selected recipients annually at their graduation. Richard Mann has been married twice. He has 3 children, Richard, Stephen and Margo. He also had a stepson, Jerry Thomas (deceased). At the age of 103, he continued to live independently. He is believed to be the oldest registered golfer in a St. Paul, MN golf league.
He frequently walked the course in favor of riding in the golf-cart. Richard Morris Mann died on January 6, 2022.
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