Herman Baron

Herman Baron, a bookseller based outside of Philadelphia, PA, passed away recently at the age of 81, due to cardiac arrest.

Herman was well known for his warm heart, his man-about-town persona, and his playful sense of humor. During his career, Herman ran companies in bookselling and Japanese technical information translation, and also worked for the Franklin Mint and the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI).

One of Herman’s signature projects was organizing the 40th anniversary of the Society Hill Towers. Acclaimed Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei attended, and Herman published an accompanying book.

Herman enjoyed giving walking tours to visiting scholars. He was a part-time tour guide for the then-Friends of Independence National Historical Park.

Beyond the United States, Herman enjoyed to travel, with legendary trips to China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe, the Holy Land, and Romania. Recent family trips included Rome/Siena, Istanbul, Venice, Paris, and San Francisco. In his free time, Herman enjoyed seeing movies and theatre shows, going on walking tours, and taking care of plants.

Herman grew up in South Philadelphia, the younger of two sons of Paul Baron and Pearl Chatis, who were immigrants from Ukraine. The family arrived in Philadelphia via Ellis Island in the 1920s. Paul started as a fruit and vegetable vendor at the Dock Street Market, then ran a grocery store in South Philadelphia. The family later moved to Northeast Philadelphia.

Herman held a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, and a Master’s degree in Library Science, both from Drexel University.

Herman is survived by his older brother, Len, his wife, Dot, and his son, Steve.

Donations can be made in Herman Baron's name to the Philadelphia Film Society at http://filmadelphia.org/donate. Checks can be made out to the Philadelphia Film Society and mailed to 1412 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102. There will be a private funeral service.

Photo Caption (right to left): Herman, Steve, Dorothy, and Len. -Ends-