Almost unknown, he was yet one of the most important of the Fortean Society founders.
Aaron Sussman was born in Russia, 10 December 1903 (or maybe 25 December—the confusion may reflect that Russia was still using the Julian calendar when Aaron was born), making him just a few months younger than Tiffany Thayer, and a full generation behind Charles Fort. His parents were Saul and Adele; they had arrived in New York City on 25 August 1906. Their native language was Yiddish, but by 1920 Saul and Adele could both speak English. The Sussmans had five children; Arron—also styled Aren—was the eldest; three of them had been born in the United States. Saul supported the family as a sign painter. In 1920, the seventeen-year old Aaron was in school, too young to have served in World War I. He attended college at some point in his life, but never finished.
Five years later, before he turned 22, Aaron married the former Carolyn Wallach. It was 14 May 1925. I don’t have reliable information on Carolyn, but it is possible she was a few years younger than Aaron, born sometime between 1904 and 1908, to Austrian immigrants. If that’s correct, Carolyn—or Caroline, or even Corolina—may have left her family early, a lodger according to the 1915 New York census, when she was about ten, and a private nurse working for a family according to the 1920 census, when she was about 16. The 1930 census had the renting a place on 48th Street in Queens. They had a radio, and Aaron was now naturalized. (Saul, his father, had applied for naturalization in 1922, which likely conferred citizenship upon Aaron.) Aaron was working as a publisher for a book concern—and books would be at the center of the rest of his life. In particular, selling books.
Aaron Sussman was born in Russia, 10 December 1903 (or maybe 25 December—the confusion may reflect that Russia was still using the Julian calendar when Aaron was born), making him just a few months younger than Tiffany Thayer, and a full generation behind Charles Fort. His parents were Saul and Adele; they had arrived in New York City on 25 August 1906. Their native language was Yiddish, but by 1920 Saul and Adele could both speak English. The Sussmans had five children; Arron—also styled Aren—was the eldest; three of them had been born in the United States. Saul supported the family as a sign painter. In 1920, the seventeen-year old Aaron was in school, too young to have served in World War I. He attended college at some point in his life, but never finished.
Five years later, before he turned 22, Aaron married the former Carolyn Wallach. It was 14 May 1925. I don’t have reliable information on Carolyn, but it is possible she was a few years younger than Aaron, born sometime between 1904 and 1908, to Austrian immigrants. If that’s correct, Carolyn—or Caroline, or even Corolina—may have left her family early, a lodger according to the 1915 New York census, when she was about ten, and a private nurse working for a family according to the 1920 census, when she was about 16. The 1930 census had the renting a place on 48th Street in Queens. They had a radio, and Aaron was now naturalized. (Saul, his father, had applied for naturalization in 1922, which likely conferred citizenship upon Aaron.) Aaron was working as a publisher for a book concern—and books would be at the center of the rest of his life. In particular, selling books.