A.H. Blank

I great philanthropist light has gone out. Mr. A. H. Blank has died at the age of 93 yesterday. I read a page of this Mr. Blank I never really knew much about, just that half of Des Moines is named after him. Blank Children's Hospital, Blank Park Zoo, Blank Golf Course to name a few. His father the paper said was a Romanian immigrant who sent his son to University of Michigan where he graduated in 1934. He married his love and had 3 kids who joined the family business.
His fortune began after he bought a crusty room near a depot, set up 50 chairs, movie projector, and a movie screen. He sold viewings of 10 minute films to commuters waiting for their ride out of the city for 5 cents. Critics doomed his venture to failure. It made him rich. Later, the paper said he introduced organ music to silent films being played. He is also the reason we have popcorn in movie theaters. He liked popcorn because it was cheap to make. The early poppers used an oil that put off an unpleasant smell, so Mr. Blank changed the oil to something more pleasant giving us movie theater butter. Soon he had himself a string of movie theaters all over the place. He died in his home because he did not want to die in a hospital when he became gravely ill.
He is also the reason the Science Center is getting a new wing with IMAX theater. He and his wife requested that it not be named after them, so much already has their name on it. Now that he has died, the Science Center says they will not obey that request and name it after him anyway. A.H. Blank is survived by wife and daughter. One son who worked with underprivaledged children died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1993 and his other son disappeared in Mexico in 2001. The paper didn't mention grandchildren or great-grandchilren, though I'm sure he had some.
Now I wonder who will we name the other half of Des Moines after. Post later. Bye!