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My Grandfather Was A Pr In Houston


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SpaceAge

Wednesday, September 15th, 2004 @ 12:13am

According to my 1969 city directory, it must consist of two buildings.

Central National Bank

2100 Travis

12 floors and a basement 10' ht.

Glenn H. McCarthy and The Cork Club- 12th floor

Paul & Paul Architects- 2nd floor

Several radio stations listed

Century Building

2120 Travis

14 floors and a basement 10' ht.

Kenneth L. Schnitzer- 8th floor

Fred Nahas- 4th floor (a local media celebrity)

(this was my grandfather and i'm just surprised people knew of him!!!) he was VERY big in PR!! :) but I'm shocked! :) The company was "Nahas and company" on the day of his funeral someone came in and stole his possessions out of his office :(

SAD World we live in.

but thank you for bringing this up!

:)

HCAD has combined them on their site. Part of building is listed as built in 1956 and part in 1957.

295,000sf +/- total bldg, 1+ acre site

The parking garage was built 1961. Has office space on top of garage too.

Shown to have a new owner as of Jan 2002.

HCAD value 2004 is $2.8M

The 1957 date for the club may be correct. Yes, the building does look newer. Lars Bang and Lucian Hood, Jr. were out in front at the time style-wise.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Yes, your grandfather was the Johnny Carson of Houston. I imagine most native Houstonians over age 40 remember him. He died only about ten years ago, I believe. Here is an article he is featured in which is for sale on ebay. He is with Sophie Tucker in the top photo and Mel Tormae in the center photo.

959.jpg

His radio show, "SATURDAY AT THE SHAMROCK," was broadcast nation wide on network radio. All of the top stars came to Houston to appear on his show. His show and the Shamrock Hotel are responsible for much of what has made Houston what it is today. Before the Shamrock, few people across the United States even gave Houston a thought. He helped put Houston on the map.

Didn't he write a book called HOUSTON: CITY OF DESTINY in the 1980's? I hope you have the album of his radio shows. I think it contains about eight cassetts. It was only available at Sakowitz and was over $100.00 when it came out. They were selling the individual tapes at Vintage Sounds at the Hart Antique Mall on Fondren Road several months ago.

Please see if you can find his resume and post it here so we can appreciate him even more.

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I don't think I have his resume :( But I do remember my grandmother having his tapes though or finding the tapes online: Saturday at the Shamrock"

My grandmother has this big picture of him on her wall with him next to the radio stand.

I remember The Marx Brothers on there (the tape). Its amazing you found this! WOW!!

It was like he knew SO MANY People! Somehow I want to persue the same career. (PR)...I'm natural at it and it seems like something I am actually good at lol!

I remember Marvin Zindler being at his funeral (and on the news making some sort of news about it)

I remember going to his business and him having a picture of the Challenger (1980s shuttle crew)? autographed on the wall.

Where did you find that article that is AMAZING! :)

I do remember also having to be proper with my grandfather and him bringing Eddie Bracken (actor) to Thanksgiving one year.

I remember Frank Sintra's wife inviting my grandmother to visit after his funeral (my grandfather's)

One last thing I do remember from my grandfather is helping me with my film/TV homework from high school. I had a good tutor there! ;)

Its interesting that another family memeber I have (on a different side of the family) was in showbizness too.

"Benny Rubin" but not related to Fred Nahas.

Benny Rubin's resume is actually on IMDB.COM and is VERY impressive as well (sorry to be going a little offtopic there)

However, I never met Benny Rubin though (he passed away before I met him)

He was more of a classic actor from vaudeville.

(sorry I don't have much to say I'm a little tired and its early)

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  • 3 weeks later...
SpaceAge

Wednesday, September 15th, 2004 @ 12:13am

According to my 1969 city directory, it must consist of two buildings.

Central National Bank

2100 Travis

12 floors and a basement 10' ht.

Glenn H. McCarthy and The Cork Club- 12th floor

Paul & Paul Architects- 2nd floor

Several radio stations listed

Century Building

2120 Travis

14 floors and a basement 10' ht.

Kenneth L. Schnitzer- 8th floor

Fred Nahas- 4th floor (a local media celebrity)

(this was my grandfather and i'm just surprised people knew of him!!!) he was VERY big in PR!! :) but I'm shocked! :) The company was "Nahas and company" on the day of his funeral someone came in and stole his possessions out of his office :(

SAD World we live in.

but thank you for bringing this up!

Actually the company was called Nahas-Blumberg. A third name was added to the advertising agency later, while still in that building. The agency was known as Nahas-Blumberg-Zelikow. It had for clients some of the top retailers in the city of

Houston. Fred Nahas was superb at what he did.  He knew and was friends with most of the movers and shakers in Houston.

:)

HCAD has combined them on their site. Part of building is listed as built in 1956 and part in 1957.

295,000sf +/- total bldg, 1+ acre site

The parking garage was built 1961. Has office space on top of garage too.

Shown to have a new owner as of Jan 2002.

HCAD value 2004 is $2.8M

The 1957 date for the club may be correct. Yes, the building does look newer. Lars Bang and Lucian Hood, Jr. were out in front at the time style-wise.

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  • 15 years later...

Your grandfather did PR work for Kwik Kopy Printing in the early 1980s, and I met him there. He had the perfect radio announcer voice, and he had a kind, gentle demeanor. I remember the radio PSA for seat belts that he created which was played on KLEF, the classical music station. It was a masterful reading of what happens to a person when an auto is in a collision. He talked about Glenn McCarthy and the golden days of the Shamrock.

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