The Brewer of Golden

In April 1977 the keynote speaker at the Philadelphia Society was a former Russian film director, now a refugee, named Efraim Sevela. His description of the lot of Soviet Jews and his appeal to the audience to wake up to the danger of Soviet imperialism resulted in a standing ovation. When I asked him to address the faculty and students at the University of Colorado, he agreed, on one condition—that I introduce him to Joseph Coors. Why Coors? “I have heard about him in the Soviet Union,” Sevela replied. “All the Communists hate him. He must be an unusual man.”

The Coors Brewing Company was founded by Adolph Coors, an immigrant who started out as a truck driver and saved enough to build a brewery. His son, Adolph Jr., expanded the company and raised his three sons—Adolph III, William and Joseph—in their grandfather’s philosophy of hard work and patriotism. After Adolph III was killed by kidnappers in the Fifties, Bill became chairman of the Board and Joe became company president. Together they made Coor’s the fifth largest brewer in the country.

ER

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Edward Rozek

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In April 1977 the keynote speaker at the Philadelphia Society was a former Russian film director, now a refugee, named Efraim Sevela. His description of the lot of Soviet Jews and his appeal to the audience to wake up to the danger of Soviet imperialism resulted in a standing ovation. When I asked him to address the faculty and students at the University of Colorado, he agreed, on one condition—that I introduce him to Joseph Coors. Why Coors? “I have heard about him in the Soviet Union,” Sevela replied. “All the Communists hate him. He must be an unusual man.”

The Coors Brewing Company was founded by Adolph Coors, an immigrant who started out as a truck driver and saved enough to build a brewery. His son, Adolph Jr., expanded the company and raised his three sons—Adolph III, William and Joseph—in their grandfather’s philosophy of hard work and patriotism. After Adolph III was killed by kidnappers in the Fifties, Bill became chairman of the Board and Joe became company president. Together they made Coor’s the fifth largest brewer in the country.