Great Living Cincinnatians: Honorees

Joseph Stern, Jr., 70 at the time he was awarded, contributed to Greater Cincinnati in a number of professional and civic capacities for many years.

Stern held a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and a master’s of business administration from Harvard Business School.

He was professor emeritus in business administration at the University of Cincinnati, where he taught a required course in business policy. He was also a member of the dean’s advisory committee for U.C.’s College of Business Administration.

Stern, former chairman of U.S. Shoe, joined the company in 1941 and rose through the ranks of the organization over the next three decades.

Stern served as president and member of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Library board of trustees, co-founder and president of Friends of the Public Library, trustee of the Ohio Library Trustee Association and the Ohio Library Foundation.

He was a trustee of the Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Historical Society. He has served as trustee of Family Service of Cincinnati and as chairman of the Hamilton County Memorial Hall Committee. He also served as president of the Cincinnati Music Festival Association and the Convalescent Hospital for Children.

Stern received the President’s Award for Excellence from the University of Cincinnati, Distinguished Community Service Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews and an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Xavier University.

Stern died March 17, 2010 at 83.