Harold Matzner says his joy in life is “to make magic for the people I love.”
As the Palm Springs resident’s 80th birthday looms on July 4, he seems a man of contentment, with “nothing really” on his bucket list. He believes he’s had a fortunate life, despite early hardships. His motto, “Never quit,” has served him well.
Known as Mr. Palm Springs for his contribution of more than $60 million to local organizations in the past 20 years, Matzner is also the founding owner of the non-profit Spencer’s Restaurant in Palm Springs’ historic Tennis Club neighborhood. The local beneficiaries of his generosity are literally too many to list here.
This weekend, he’ll be inducted into the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans in Washington D.C., along with 10 other people who have overcome modest beginnings and significant struggles to achieve great success. All inductees have made major contributions to their communities and are chosen as role models for young people, according to the organization, which provides college scholarships for outstanding students committed to doing the same in the face of adversity. The list includes ABC News chief national correspondent, Byron Pitts, and John Elway, former quarterback and now general manager of the Denver Broncos.
“It’s humbling to be included,” says Matzner, with a touch of emotion. Horatio Alger member R. D. Hubbard, developer of the prestigious Big Horn Golf Club in Palm Desert, nominated Matzner. Another member, Greg Renker, chairman of Eisenhower Medical Center, supported the nomination, Matzner says. “They’ve known me over the years and seen how I’ve lived my life.”
As a youth, Matzner struggled with poverty and dyslexia, “in the days when no one knew about learning disabilities.” He survived by memorizing information. He knew he would never go to college because he would “have a very tough struggle,” he says.
During the Great Depression, his father never complained about his job with a WPA project, because he had a third grade education. Matzner believes his dad may have had dyslexia, too. The family lived in Newark, N.J. with Matzner’s maternal grandfather. Eventually Matzner’s father was able to get a job at a printing company and Matzner began helping him after school and on weekends when he was 8 years old.
Harold Matzner: “Determine to fight your way through it. Never give up. That’s fundamental in life. If you are prepared to make a total commitment, in a fearless way, you can do it.”
At one time, Matzner sold seeds and dog food, door to door. He also delivered newspapers. After high school, he did a printing apprenticeship, and then later started his own newspaper. He is credited with creating the idea of shared mail in which businesses join together to target homes of prospective customers. This innovation eventually led to the creation of CBA Industries, of which he is now chairman.
“In anything that makes life harder, you need to be determined,” he says. “Determine to fight your way through it. Never give up. That’s fundamental in life. If you are prepared to make a total commitment, in a fearless way, you can do it. That includes a college education. I pulled off the entrepreneurial thing 55 years ago but these days you have to go to college. You need that credential just to get the door open. It’s too hard to find a niche where you can be successful without one. I was lucky to find a niche. The networking that comes out of college is extremely valuable. Focus on subjects that help people find solutions to problems … business is one of them. It’s important to keep learning, whether you have a college education or not.”
About his success, he says, “I couldn’t imagine this happening to me anywhere else but in the United States.”
Palm Springs is Matzner’s “favorite place,” he says, though the affairs of his company often require that he spend six months each year in Connecticut and New York. Matzner first came to the desert in 1985 and later met his “significant other,” Shellie Reade, at the Tennis Club. “She’s improved my game significantly,” he says.
Spencer’s is “a place of collective energy” for the Palm Springs Tennis Club Members Association, which he chairs, he says, and named after his late Siberian husky. Matzner’s home now includes two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and a Golden Retriever. “The restaurant is very dog friendly,” he says. “We get five stars for dogs and four for humans.”
Profits from Matzner’s restaurant are distributed to Coachella Valley charities including the AIDS Assistance Program, Desert Symphony, American Cancer Society, Cabot’s Pueblo Museum, Palm Springs Animal Shelter, Jewish Family Services of the Desert and Tools for Tomorrow, among others. Matzner has long served as Chairman of the McCallum Theatre and Palm Springs International Film Festival, and executive vice chair of Palm Springs Art Museum. He serves on the boards of Eisenhower Medical Center and Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center. He has received numerous prestigious awards from business and education entities in the desert.
Visit www.horatioalger.org for more information.