Adele Klapper ’92, MA ’99
The late Adele Klapper was born in Brooklyn in 1925, the daughter of European immigrants. She forwent college to help support her family. After returning from military service, her husband, Herbert Klapper, worked at his father’s sewing machine sales company, Superior Sewing Machine & Supply in Manhattan; nearby, Adele was employed at the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. A chance encounter between the two at a local luncheonette provided the spark for what would become a half century of marriage.
Under Herbert’s leadership, Superior Sewing became an international leader in the distribution and sales of sewing machine parts, and is known for providing quality merchandise at a fair price. The couple became passionate art collectors, and every purchase they made was a team decision—he with a keen eye for value and quality, she with a deep appreciation for beauty.
Adele’s dream of attending college was fulfilled when she graduated with a BA in Art from Adelphi in 1992, at the age of 62, and she followed that with an MA in Art in 1999.
Until her passing in 2018, Adele was a generous supporter of and friend to Adelphi University. In 2005, she received the President’s Medal of Merit, the highest award given by an Adelphi president. She also worked with the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, United Jewish Appeal, Hadassah and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Throughout my childhood and adolescent years, I pictured myself going to college. My dreams became a reality when, at 60, I enrolled at Adelphi to study art history. The years when I earned my degrees would become the most enlightening and gratifying of my life. It is my pleasure to support Adelphi.