T H E E A R LY DAY S • 11 THE FOUNDER IS BORN In 1902, the founder of Harold W Young Inc., was born on the kitchen table above Julius’s grocery store. He was the oldest of Julius and Henrietta’s five children and would become the undisputed patriarch of the family. Harold had an active childhood and grew up belonging to many organizations. In his spare time, he taught a course at the temple. As the oldest, Harold set the example that education was important to succeed. He was the first of his family in that generation to attend college in the United States. After graduating from Boston University in the early 1920s, he and Julius started a wholesale soda business in addition to maintaining the grocery store. Soda sold well in the summer but poorly in the winter. So Harold, to supplement his income, decided to sell candy and allied products (similar products) to local retailers. My father trusted people. It’s a trait I loved in him but it got him into trouble. Several hundred dollars’ worth of trouble, which, in those days was a lot of money. He told me a story about a carnival that came to town. The owner of the carnival asked him to get some raw popcorn. Harold got the popcorn and delivered it. The owner said come back tomorrow and I will pay you. When Harold returned the next day, the carnival was gone, the popcorn was gone and so was the money to pay him. While my father continued to trust people he was more cautious when giving credit after falling for the carnival con.