Jacob Loose was an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company, a giant producer of cookies and crackers. He was born in 1850 in Pennsylvania and moved to Kansas in 1870, where he opened a dry goods store with his brother. In 1882, he moved to Kansas City and entered the cracker business. He eventually became the president of the National Biscuit Company, which later merged with his own company to form the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company. He was known as the “Cracker King” for his success in the industry
Jacob Loose was also a generous benefactor who supported many causes, especially for children. He started the Children’s Mercy Hospital’s endowment fund with $25,000 in 1913. He also created the Million Dollar Charity Fund Association in his will, which was managed by his wife, Ella Loose. She donated the land for Loose Park, one of the largest and most beautiful parks in Kansas City, as a memorial to her husband
Jacob Loose Cause of Death
Jacob Loose died on September 18, 1923, at the age of 73. He had partially retired after an illness in 1919, and spent his last years at his summer home in Gloucester, Massachusetts. According to Wikipedia, his cause of death was not specified, but it could have been related to his previous illness or old age
His funeral in Kansas City was attended by 700 friends and employees, and his body was interred in a mausoleum in Elmwood Cemetery1 He left behind a legacy of business success and philanthropy that still benefits Kansas City today
