Inducted:1995

David Smith has been an important part of the cooperative movement for more than three decades. Remarkably, all of his efforts have been on a volunteer basis. He served as president of Penn South Co-op for more than 20 years, where he pioneered a program in energy conservation that resulted in significant savings for the co-op and its members. Also in this role he successfully fought to retain the limited equity nature of Penn South, and helped develop a comprehensive senior citizens support program.

Smith was also one of the original organizers of the Coordinating Council of Cooperatives, which brings together leaders of the largest housing co-ops in New York City. He served as vice-chairman when it was first established, as chairman for six years, and now as co-chairman. He also serves as executive vice president of Coordinated Housing Services, a cooperative services organization he helped found in 1976.

Nationally, Smith actively serves on numerous cooperative boards and committees. He has consistently been the lead fundraiser for the Cooperative Development Foundation’s 5k race, and in 1994 took on the awesome task of leading the efforts to celebrate the 150th anniversary of modern cooperatives. He has also reached out to rural and producer cooperatives through exchanges with New York City cooperatives.

Without question Dave Smith has strengthened the entire U.S. cooperative movement through his incredible volunteer efforts. His devotion to cooperatives is unwavering, his accomplishments immense, and his actions selfless.

Fred and Virginia Thornthwaite

Inducted:1994

Fred and Virginia Thornthwaite came of age during the Great Depression and World War II. From these experiences they concluded that existing economic systems had failed. Further study convinced them that a cooperative commonwealth could better meet basic human needs. Suiting action to philosophy, in 1942 Fred helped organize a dairy cooperative in the Downriver area of Detroit. After he and Virginia married, their house became the co-op’s rent-free office and home to a series of student co-op employees.

In 1960 the cooperative added optical services. A consumer-oriented approach made eye care affordable to those who could not afford it before. Over the next 30 years Co/op Optical Services opened 11 retail centers to serve Michigan families. Next the Thornthwaites turned their attention to affordable housing for the elderly. The first venture, Wyandotte Co-op, opened in 1965. A second was finished in 1971 after the couple pledged their own house as security for the construction company’s bond. The founders retired in 1981, but the housing co-op they nurtured continued to flourish. By the 1990′s, Cooperative Services, Inc., with 30 buildings in four states, had become a national model of excellence, and an inspiration to cooperators across the country. For nearly 5,000 residents, the Thornthwaites’ dream of the cooperative commonwealth was a reality.

Harold Ostroff

Inducted:1990

There has been no more articulate voice on behalf of the American consumer than that of Harold Ostroff, who brought the labor movement and cooperative movement together to achieve major accomplishments in cooperative housing, insurance and food stores. As president of the United Housing Foundation in New York City, he was instrumental in developing affordable housing for more than 100,000 fellow citizens, was founder and chairman of the Urban Community Insurance Company, and helped organize retail societies as president of the Federation of Cooperative, Inc. In addition, Ostroff served as chairman of the Cooperative League the USA and was a director of the National Association of Housing Cooperatives and the Cooperative Development Foundation.

Roger Willcox

Inducted:1986

Roger Willcox led the first large-scale nationwide program of consumer sponsored cooperative housing development. He served as chief executive officer of FCH Services, Inc. from 1952 to 1971. During this time, this not-for-profit subsidiary of the Cooperative Housing Foundation developed more than 55,000 dwelling units in 30 states.

Willcox was a founder and for more than 12 years the president of the National Association of Housing Cooperatives. During this time he pioneered many innovative financing, organizing and building design techniques applicable to the co-op housing field. He wrote many technical manuals and bulletins for co-op conversions, and developed several new ways of using FHA mortgage insurance.

Abraham E. Kazan (1889-1971)

Inducted:1976

Considered the ‘father of U.S. cooperative housing’, A.E. Kazan became the first person in New York City’s history to have a street named for him in his lifetime. He earned this distinction for his role in helping to change the face of sections of New York City through cooperative housing. More than 100,000 people live in homes built by his efforts. Even more than that, he created cooperative communities with co-op markets, pharmacies, credit unions, optical centers and more – all designed to benefit people. He succeeded in federating the various co-op supermarkets in New York City to give them the muscle to compete against giant chains; he built co-op electric generating plants to bring down the price of power; and he developed cooperative computerized services to keep co-ops up to date in their record keeping.