William H. Frey Papers

William H. Frey was born in St. Louis on July 29, 1921, and died in Atlanta on February 17, 2001. The son and grandson of judges, Bill studied at UCLA and at Washington University, where he earned degrees in Business Administration and Law. Military service from 1943 to 1946 interrupted his education, bringing him South. In 1945, he married Atlanta native Brena Feldman, with whom he had three sons. In 1947, he completed his education and moved to Atlanta, joining his father-in-law's business, the Puritan Chemical Company, where he served for 30 years in a variety of positions, culminating in twelve years as President. Under his leadership the company grew, flourished, and eventually was sold. Bill's enthusiasm for his work came from his vision of business as not only providing a livelihood for its employees but also allowing them to reach their potential while providing needed goods and services to the community. In business he was known for his forthright character and integrity. Bill loved and valued education, books, poetry, classical music and humor. He played tennis with friends until he was 80 and enjoyed spending his vacations at the beach. He had two subsequent marriages, to Elizabeth Miller Harman and Jean Weinstein Oppenheimer.