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Setting The Standard
Along with his wife, Eugene Applebaum enhances our youth and our region.
Bill Carroll
Special to the Jewish News
ewish philanthropist extraordi-
naire Eugene Applebaum makes
it perfectly clear: He wants to
talk about "the kids" and the other benefi-
ciaries of his philanthropies, not himself.
The reason he agreed to be honored
by the Jewish Community Center of
Metropolitan Detroit and receive its Boneh
Kehillah award for community service
("Builder of the Community") is because
the proceeds will finance children's pro-
gramming at the JCC. His friend and fel-
low Detroit supporter, Roger Penske, the
car racing team owner and transportation
titan, received the honor with him.
Applebaum and Penske received trib-
utes at a May 12 gala, titled "Transform a
Child's Life," at the West Bloomfield JCC.
Each year, the JCC honors two leaders who
are dedicated and committed to Detroit
and, in Applebaum's case, specifically, to
the Jewish community
"I rarely do these things, but many of
my friends urged me to accept the honor
because it will help the kids who come to
the Jewish Center;' said Applebaum. "I'm
strongly interested in the future of our
children and I want to help them when-
ever I can."
Applebaum, 73, the philanthropic former
drugstore mogul, is best known for his
philanthropies benefiting people of all ages
in all walks of life, but especially his com-
mitment to the Detroit Jewish community.
j
Looking Back
Sitting in the kitchen of his home, he
reluctantly agreed to talk about himself
— always in modest terms — and the
new phase of his life, in which he exhibits
the same philosophies and commitment
that once brought him to the pinnacle of
the drugstore industry.
Many young Jewish men turned to phar-
macy in the middle of the 20th century
because restrictions against Jews prohib-
ited them from their first choice — getting
into medical school and becoming a doc-
tor. They enjoyed giving medical advice to
customers and even being called "doc."
"Not me:' Applebaum intones. "I always
loved pharmacy. I always wanted to have
my own drugstore and be on the retail
business side."
With his family residing on old Detroit's
Broad Street, he graduated from Central
High School in 1955, then Wayne State
University's College of Pharmacy. He
worked in a few local drugstores before
opening his first store in 1963, Civic
Drugs, on Dearborn's east side.
Neighborly Demeanor
"All the major Detroit drugstore chains
turned down that location because it
was too close to a viaduct at the corner
of Greenfield, but a Realtor convinced
me to take it; not too smart on my pare,'
Applebaum reminisces.
But before long, he was filling 90-100
prescriptions a day and doing well in the
sales of the traditional drugstore items, "all
care items, rather than
because of the wonderful people Above right: The
venture into auto parts, dry
of that Dearborn neighborhood." Jewish Community
Campus in West
cleaning and some of the
"My philosophy' he said, "was
to always play to the people of the Bloomfield was named things that other chains
for Marcia and Eugene took on."
nearby neighborhoods; they'll
Applebaum following
Arbor's growth rate and
be your best customers. Their
innovations won industry
nickels and dimes made the store their Federation gift
of about $5 million.
accolades and awards for
a succese
the chain and Applebaum
The fact that the store was
personally — "Drug Store of the Year,"
practically in the shadow of Ford Motor
"Strategic Manager of the Year;' "Most
Company's World Headquarters building
Admired CEO in Metropolitan Detroit:'
also was a big asset, as Ford employees
"Retail Hall of Fame,' an honorary law
darted in and out of Civic Drugs on their
degree at Wayne and others.
breaks buying their drugstore needs.
Arbor went public in 1986 — the stock
"I couldn't even leave the place during
hit a high of $23.75 at one point in 1993
store hours because there was only one
— as the firm successfully ventured into
pharmacist on duty — me',' Applebaum
depressed neighborhoods often ignored
muses.
by other chains.
Applebaum's wife, Marcia, to whom he
has been married almost 50 years, often
Enjoys Detroit
fortified him by bringing him lunch. They
While Applebaum also has residences
have two daughters, Lisa and Pamela, and
elsewhere, his focus remains Detroit.
four grandchildren.
Robert Aronson, the Jewish Federation
Applebaum acquired five more stores
of Metropolitan Detroit's senior develop-
around the Detroit area, including Ann
ment adviser, says, "Gene sets the stan-
Arbor, hence the Arbor Drugs name when
dards for others to follow; this is the true
the firm incorporated in 1974.
definition of leadership. He cares strongly
about Detroit, our Jewish community and
Growth Spurt
the Jewish world — and his driving pas-
Applebaum's drugstore savvy and business
sion is the education of our children."
acumen in general helped the chain grow
Shopping mall magnate A. Alfred
rapidly for 35 years. He acquired stores
Taubman of Bloomfield Hills, one of
from such well-known Detroit chains as
Applebaum's philanthropic colleagues,
Cunningham's, Sentry and M&R.
"My policy:' he says, "was to always stick points out, "Gene sometimes has difficulty
getting around, but he moves where he
to the more traditional drugstore items,
Applebaum on page 12
like cosmetics, cold remedies and personal
May 13 • 2010 11