Samuel H Miller

Sam Miller was longtime co-chairman and treasurer of Cleveland’s Forest City Enterprises Inc., the real estate development company he helped build into a national giant. In 2018 Forest City was acquired by Brookfield Properties, a commercial real estate empire controlled by a Toronto-based asset manager. Miller grew up to become one of the country’s most savvy businessmen – a plucky, crackerjack real estate developer who hobnobbed with prime ministers, Pavarotti and a pope. He emerged as a political powerbroker, a reputation bolstered when his backing propelled longshot candidate Michael R. White to three terms as Cleveland’s mayor. His fundraising skills also helped causes close to his Jewish faith and the Catholic Church. Under the leadership of Miller and his former brother-in-law, Albert Ratner, Forest City became in its day perhaps the most politically connected real estate developer in the country. The company’s campaign contributions stretched well past Ohio, into California, Colorado, New Mexico, New York and other states where Forest City has pursued major projects. Born June 26, 1921, he grew up poor, and spoke only Russian and Yiddish – the native languages of his parents. Miller’s father emigrated from Russia, and the Miller name was bestowed upon him by an Irish immigrant at Ellis Island who was taking names of those passing into the United States. Miller’s mother emigrated from Poland. The couple married in 1918 and settled in Cleveland. He attended Cleveland’s Western Reserve University (now Case Western Reserve University). He excelled in business and history and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1941. From there, he went on to Harvard University, on full scholarship, and graduated in 1943 with a master’s degree in industrial administration, a war-time equivalent of an MBA. Miller married Ruth Ratner, daughter of Forest City co-founder Leonard Ratner and sister of Albert Ratner. In 1947, Miller joined Forest City Material Co., the precursor to Forest City Enterprises, and quickly rose the corporate ranks. Miller often was guarded when asked about his first marriage, which in 1982 ended in divorce. The couple had four children — Aaron, Richard, Gabrielle and Abraham. After the divorce, Sam Miller stayed on with Forest City and married Maria Shanley in 1983. Ruth Ratner Miller also remarried. She died of cancer in 1996. Miller served as the national chairman of United Jewish Appeal, was a lifetime honorary trustee of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, a past chairman of the Cleveland Jewish Welfare Fund and Israel Bonds and a trustee for the Jewish National Fund. He also was chairman of the Board for Medical Mutual. He also was a member of the Cleveland Clinic’s board of directors, a trustee of Baldwin-Wallace College, and an honorary trustee of Case Western Reserve University. Miller is survived by his wife, Maria; sons, Aaron, Abraham and Richard; and daughter, Gabrielle.