| Personal data | |
|---|---|
| Surname | Kampner |
| Name | Samuel |
| Birth year | 1887 |
| Birth month | 4 |
| Birth day | 2 |
| Birth place | Courland |
| Death year | 1934 |
| Death month | 12 |
| Death day | 29 |
| Death place | New Haven |
| Sex | M |
Kampner Samuel (2 April 1887, Courland Governorate — 29 December 1934, New Haven, USA) — lawyer, Jewish philanthropist.
As an infant, Samuel Kampner emigrated with his parents to the United States. He worked as a hotel clerk, assistant in his father’s stationery business, and as a conductor. In 1908, he graduated from Yale University and began his law practice. He became a well-known figure in Republican circles. In 1911, he was elected a member of the New Haven Board of Aldermen (Connecticut) and was re-elected twice. On 31 January 1917, he was elected mayor of New Haven, becoming the youngest mayor in the state’s history as well as the first and only Jewish mayor of New Haven.
From 1919 to 1934, he served as president of the Progressive Finance and Realty Company, Ltd. From 1928 to 1934, he was president of the General Industrial Bank. In 1929, he opened his own law firm.
Kampner was deeply engaged in public life, patronage of the arts, and Jewish philanthropy. He was a member of several scholarly and cultural associations, including the local branch of the Red Cross, the American Historical Association, and a number of Jewish charitable organizations.