Former city representative, journalist dies at 94
Former Philadelphia City Representative and Director of Commerce Abe Rosen died Sunday. He was 94.
Read more about Rosen in the press release below:
Rosen-Coren Agency NEWS
NEW AGE MARKETING • PUBLIC RELATIONS • ADVERTISING Release on Receipt
FORMER CITY REPRESENTATIVE AND DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE ABE S. ROSEN DIES AT 94 AT ABINGTON HOSPITAL IN ABINGTON, PA.
Former Philadelphia City Representative And Director Of Commerce Abe S. Rosen died yesterday (October 2) at Abington Hospital, Abington, PA. He was 94-years-of-age. Cause of death was complications from congestive heart failure.
For years, Rosen was the City of Philadelphia's Number "1" booster and chief defender of the City's good name. The former city representative and director of commerce also served as the president and executive head of the Philadelphia Convention And Visitors Bureau before returning to the private sector in public relations work.
After many years of service as a writer and editor with the Philadelphia Evening Ledger and the Philadelphia Record, Rosen began a career in public relations in 1947. He became director of the city's port and airport promotion in 1953. From 1956 to 1963 he served as deputy city representative. In May of 1966, he joined the mayor's cabinet as city representative and director of commerce.
From January 1968 until September 1970, he was president of the Philadelphia Convention And Visitors Bureau. During that time, his innovative programming resulted in attracting world-wide attention for Philadelphia and coast-to-coast publicity, including making the late Joey Bishop and Milton Berle apologize in writing for their negative remarks about Philadelphia.
Rosen was instrumental in having historic Fort Mifflin transferred from Federal jurisdiction to the City (via Pennsylvania), now a popular tourist venue. In addition, he expanded the celebration of July 4th to the week-long Freedom Week, the forerunner to Welcome America. He also helped craft the Liberty Trail, a 100-mile scenic auto tour of following Washington's footsteps as he encountered the British in Delaware, Chester, Bucks, Philadelphia and Montgomery counties.
Originally in Kennedy Plaza, "50 Days Of Fun," a summer entertainment program saluting all 50 states, is now embraced in other Philadelphia presentations.
During World War II, Rosen served as an agent with the Criminal Investigation Division and as the editor of the China edition of the Army's Stars and Stripes, where he served with the late Washington syndicated columnist Jack Anderson.
Rosen is the son of the late Harry and Pauline Rosen and the brother of the late Rose (Milton) Brownstein He is the father of Ellen (Stu) Coren, grandfather of Brad (Elise) Coren and Lori (Tim) Hartigan. He is the great grandfather of Alex Matthew Coren. He also is survived by another daughter, Irene (Jeff) Garber and her children Amy (Bryan) Scott and Melanie (Kerin) Hermann and their children. His late wife Bonnie (Bernice) Mittin Rosen died in 1990.
Born and raised in West Philadelphia, he is a graduate of Overbook High School and attended Temple University for two years. He was a sports writer with the Evening Ledger, 1935-1942 when the paper folded.
He also previously served as an outside expeditor for Brewster Aero Corporation in Warminster, PA for one year. Rosen joined the Philadelphia Record as a copy reader and interim financial editor from 1943-1944, served in the United States Army, from 1944-1946. After the service, he returned to the Record which merged with the Philadelphia Bulletin in June of 1947. He went into public relations with Wolfson Enterprises, Adelphia Associates from 1947 to 1953. He became the Port of Philadelphia promotion director in July of 1953. During that time, he additionally served as special events director for the department of commerce until July 1955. He returned to Adelhia Associates as a partner in July of 1955 until March of 1956, when he became deputy city representative under the late Fredric R. Mann.
Following that, Rosen left the City to become a vice president of public relations for Al Paul Lefton Company in Philadelphia. He returned to City government in 1966 as City Representative and Director of Commerce, a post he held until 1968 when he became president of the Philadelphia Convention And Visitors Bureau. He left the bureau in 1970 to from Sommers-Rosen, a private public relations firm he founded with the late veteran publicist Alan Sommers. He left Sommers-Rosen in 1983 and co-founded the Rosen-Coren Agency with Stu Coren. Rosen was active in the firm almost to the time of his death.
He additionally was previously active with the Rotary Club of Center City, Philadelphia Port Corporation, City Planning Commission, past president of Alzheimer's Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Delaware Valley Chapter, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, the City Planning Commission, a trustee for Beth Emeth Congregation in Northeast Philadelphia and the Jewish War Veterans.
He also was a past member of the Public Relations Society of America and was voted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Association's Hall Of Fame.
Graveside services and interment will be held on Wednesday, October 5 at 12 Noon at Roosevelt Memorial Park in Trevose, PA. .