Nate Blumberg

Nathanial J. “Nate” Blumberg (February 4, 1894 – July 24, 1960) was a motion picture executive.

Early life and education Nate Blumberg was born in Racine, WI in 1894 to Jacob and Libbie (nee: Codner) Blumberg, a Jewish couple who had emigrated from Odesa, Russia. He had 3 older sisters and a 2 younger brothers. When he was 6 months old, his family moved to Milwaukee, WI. He attended the Cherry Street School as a youth. At the age of 12, he quit school to work at the Alhambra theater as an assistant property boy.

Career Working at the Alhambra theater, Blumberg worked his way up from usher to assistant treasurer before joining the circus as an advance man and ticket seller. In 1911, he started his career in film, working for the General Films Exchange as a salesman, under Harold Fitzgerald and alongside fellow salesman A.J. Balaban. He returned to Racine in 1916 to manage the Palace and the (newly built) Rialto theaters. and at founder Carl Laemmle’s request, Mr. Blumberg was kept on and promoted to state supervisor of their theaters. He oversaw Universal's theaters throughout Wisconsin, working from their offices inside the Carpenter Building in Milwaukee. In September 1934, RKO was reorganized and Blumberg was elected to RKO's parent company, (Keith-Albee-Orpheum Corp.), board of directors and assumed the role of vice president in charge of theater operations.

In November 1937, it was announced that on January 1, 1938, Blumberg would become the next president and general manager of the Universal Film Company, after the resignation of Robert H. Cochran. He served as Universal Pictures president from 1938 until 1952, when Universal was acquired by Decca Records and Milton Rackmil was named the new president. Blumberg was elected to chairman of the board of the merged companies, a position he held until his death in 1960.

Personal life In 1920, Blumberg married Vera Fox, the sister of Matthew M. Fox, in Racine, WI. Together, they had a daughter, Doris “Dodo” Meyer, and a son, Lewis Fox Blumberg. Blumberg and his wife donated 2 acres of land in North Hollywood so that the David Familian Chapel of Temple Adat Ariel could be built. He was named “1952’s Motion Picture Pioneer” by the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation. He died on July 24, 1960, at his home in Van Nuys, CA.