Albert Arthur Levin (1899-1969), a Cleveland, Ohio, lawyer and developer of commercial and industrial real estate, was born in Philadelphia. His family moved to Lorain, Ohio, when he was ten years old. Following the death of his father in 1918, he assumed operation of the family clothing store until 1931. After graduation from Ohio State University Law School in 1934, Levin became active in Democratic politics. His activities included working on Martin F. Davey's campaign for governor of Ohio. In 1935 he was appointed the first chief of the Investigation Bureau of the Ohio Department of Insurance.
Levin moved to Cleveland and established a law practice in 1938. Later he purchased and developed vacant land and existing buildings, an activity that became his dominant interest. Among his major real estate developments were the Marshall, 666 Euclid Avenue, and Public Square buildings and the Parmatown (Parma, Ohio) and Shoreway (Lorain, Ohio) shopping centers.
From 1950 on, Albert Levin was a leader in fund drives for the United Jewish Appeal and Bonds for Israel, both in Cleveland and nationally. His involvement in civic affairs included serving as foreman of the Cuyahoga County grand jury (1962), trustee of the Greater Cleveland Growth Corporation, and co-chairman of the national fund drive for Wilberforce University.
Maxine Goodman Levin (1916-2002), a civic activist and philanthropist, was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Her mother, Julia Bamberger Goodman, was a descendant of early Cleveland settlers and her father, Max P. Goodman, was a prominent Cleveland attorney. She studied the history of architecture at Ohio State University, from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She married Albert Levin in 1945.
Mrs. Levin was a founder and first president of the Cleveland Restoration Society and chairperson of the Cleveland Landmarks
Commission, the Woodruff Hospital Board, the Women's City Club, the Cleveland Chapter of Hadassah, and the World Jewish Congress
Division of Northeast Ohio. Additionally, she served on the boards of Dyke College, Cleveland State University, the East
End Neighborhood House, the Jewish Community Federation, and the Catholic Social Services of Cuyahoga County. In 1969 she
endowed a chair in urban studies and public service at Cleveland State University and subsequently was instrumental in establishing
the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs within Cleveland State University.
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Albert Levin
click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Cleveland Restoration Society