The Sosland name is well-known throughout philanthropic circles in the area. So you would think that over the years Morton Sosland would have stood at a variety of podiums accepting awards on behalf of his or his family’s generosity. But, until now, he has graciously refused those requests.
Sosland will be honored on Sunday, Nov. 20, by the Jewish Community Relations Bureau|American Jewish Committee. He will be presented with the Henry W. Bloch Human Relations Award for his commitment to justice, his selfless service to the community, his civic leadership and vision, and his devotion to making Kansas City a better place for all.
Sosland credits his philanthropic nature to his parents.
“I was taught as a child that I had obligations beyond running a business,” Sosland said. “We were brought up to know there was more to life than just yourself and your family and you had to reach out and help other people.”
He explained that there was never any question in his mind that he should try to do whatever he could do to help the community. This was to be done not for personal glory, but simply for the sake of goodness. That statement goes a long way toward explaining why he’s been so hesitant to accept accolades for his philanthropic activities.
However his niece Debbie Sosland-Edelman, who serves as executive director of the Sosland Foundation and has worked with him for 23 years, believes he certainly deserves the honor.
“In that time I have observed and admired his leadership within our family and our community. He leads with his head and his heart,” Sosland-Edelman said.
Sosland-Edelman said her uncle is widely respected for his vast knowledge on an array of community issues.
“More than once I’ve tried to convince him to support a particular initiative and he gives me all the reasons why it can’t work.In those cases I didn’t want him to be right, but he always was,” she said.
Sosland’s advice is sought often by people both near and far on a variety of issues. Sosland-Edelman said he always offers it thoughtfully.
“He is generous with his time and resources. He is devoted to our family, our business and the community. I’ve heard him refer to Kansas City as ‘our beloved city.’ He is probably best known for his work at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, but he has also spent countless hours working on behalf of the underserved in our community especially in the area of access to quality education,” Sosland-Edelman said.
Over the years Sosland has been involved “in an awful lot of things,” some of which stand out more than others. For example he was instrumental in achieving a large increase in donations to the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City in response to the 1973 Yom Kippur War. He also helped his father raise money to build the Beth Shalom building that was recently closed at 95th and Wornall Road in Kansas City, Mo.
One of his most recent activities was helping raise funds that went toward doubling the size of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. He is proud that his wife, Estelle, was the first woman trustee and the first woman chairman of the museum. In 2009, the Soslands donated their private collection of Pacific Northwest works of art, which are now featured as part of the Nelson’s American Indian Art Collection.
Sosland grew up in Kansas City and served in the Army during World War II and joined the family-owned Sosland Publishing Co. on graduating from Harvard in 1946. The company publishes business-to-business magazines primarily focused on the worldwide grain and food processing industries. He has been editor-in-chief of the weekly Milling & Baking News for 40 years and has an editorial role in the other publications. He also was president and chairman of the publishing company, a role that he has passed to his son, Charles. His grandson, Meyer Joseph Sosland, is managing editor of World Grain magazine. He represents the fifth generation of the family to be involved in the publishing business.
Family is important to Sosland and he proudly notes that because he has great-grandchildren, he has known six generations of the Sosland family.
“It’s pretty remarkable when you think about it. There are not many people who have known six generations of their family well,” he said.
Just as the family, through the Sosland Foundation, strives to set an example in matters of charity to be emulated by others, Morton Sosland believes he has passed on the giving spirit to his children and grandchildren.
“I have a son who is perhaps more active in the (Kansas City) community than I am,” he said. In fact the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Sosland Foundation founders all carry on the philanthropic tradition by contributing personally and serving on community boards, as well as the foundation’s board.
Sosland himself has served on a number of corporate boards, including H&R Block, Commerce Bancshares, Hallmark Cards, Kansas City Southern, ERC Corporation, Stilwell Financial and TWA. In civic responsibilities, he served as president of the Jewish Federation of Kansas City, chairman of Midwest Research Institute, co-chair of Kansas City Economic Development and as president of the Pembroke-Country Day School board. He was among the founders of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. He is currently a director of the Sosland Foundation, H&R Block Foundation, Lyric Opera Foundation, Hall Family Foundation and the Loose Foundation.
Sosland said he enjoys raising funds for causes and institutions that he believes in. Often, he said, people ask him how he can even ask people for money.
“I say I’m doing them a favor. I’m showing them how they can use what they have to a purpose that will give them even more satisfaction than the recipients, perhaps. I have convinced myself that doing this kind of thing right is a huge personal reward,” he said.
While he no longer runs Sosland Publishing, he is still very active in the business. He writes all the editorials for Milling & Baking News, which has been published every week since 1922. He continues to spend a lot of time researching the industry so he can be knowledgeable about what he writes.
“I take it as a very serious task to do it well,” he said.
One reason he chose to accept this award is because one of the missions of the agency bestowing it, JCRB|AJC, is seeking justice. Justice is very important to Sosland.
“We write about the adequacy of the food supply and we write about how we can produce enough food for a world that is growing very, very fast. We are very concerned with an adequate food supply, not just for Americans but for people all over the world, particularly in Africa and Asia where there are shortages now,” he said.
“I hope I’m bringing the message that food is very important to justice. You can’t really achieve justice anywhere without an adequate food supply.”