About Us  >  I.M. and Hazel Sulzbacher Biographies



      I.M. Sulzbacher was born and raised in Rome, Georgia, educated at Dartmouth College, and like so many of Jacksonville’s leaders, received his early leadership training as an officer of the United States Navy.
      As a businessman, he completed at least two careers. First, President of Jacobs Jewelers until 1960, he then became the dean of life insurance underwriters, agents and brokers in a city renowned as a center of the life insurance industry.
      This outstanding husband, father, and businessman is recognized for his indefatigable service and many major contributions to the betterment of our city. He has served as President of the Jacksonville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the Rotary Club of Jacksonville, the Boys Service Council, the Tuberculosis Association, the American Cancer Society, the YMCA, the Bartram School Trustees, and the St. John’s Dinner Club. He also had leadership roles in many other important institutions, including the Chamber of Commerce, Jacksonville Symphony, the United Way, the Navy League, Memorial Hospital, the Salvation Army and the Arts Assembly.

Hazel Sulzbacher at Transformations 2003.
     In addition to serving his family and businesses and performing community service, Mr. Sulzbacher entered government service and took on the hard problems —like homelessness.
      In 1967, at a time when our local government was in turmoil and disrepute, and a new consolidated form of government was approved by the voters, our founder, Isaac May Sulzbacher, stepped forward and ran for City Council at Large. He served with distinction for 7 years and was selected as the outstanding city councilman in 1969–70 and 1972–73. He brought reason, wisdom, quiet strength and elegance to the council and promoted governmental fiscal responsibility, long range planning, citizen participation, and most of all integrity.
      After ten years on the city council, I.M. retired from politics, and accepted an appointment to the Jacksonville Transportation Authority. He took the lead in expanding our expressway system, planning the Dames Point Bridge, and in exploring mass transit alternatives for the 21st Century. In addition Mr. Sulzbacher had the foresight to insist that Butler Boulevard be built at additional cost as a limited access expressway, instead of as planned with traffic lights every 800 yards.
      After the JTA , he served on Mayor Austin’s Fiscal Policy Committee, chaired a bench-mark JCCI study on planning and land use, and, most importantly served as chairman of the Emergency Services and Homeless Coalition of Jacksonville. He took the lead in raising the money and setting high standards for our new state-of-the-art homeless center that shelters almost 300 people each night. In 1994, the city council named the Center in his honor.
      Few among us have made such a difference in our community as I.M. Sulzbacher did, with his kind, gentle and caring approach to issues and personal relationships, and with quiet but firm consensus building persuasion based on reason and understanding. Mr. Sulzbacher was able to achieve lasting solutions to difficult problems.
      I.M Sulzbacher died, Tuesday, June 5, 2001. We are all better people for having known him and are most grateful for his lifetime of service.