King David Shwayder was born in 1910, the son of Jesse Shwayder, founder of the Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing Company.
The business made folding card tables and furniture under the “Samson” brand, named for the Biblical character. In 1939 the company introduced a sleekly-designed new suitcase branded “Samsonite,” with a tapered shape and vulcanized fiber covering. They began marketing all of their products under the Samsonite brand by 1941 and in 1965, the firm was renamed Samsonite Corporation after its best-selling product. King David Shwayder became Chief Executive Officer of Samsonite Corporation, when his father retired in 1962.
In 1961, King David Shwayder signed an agreement with Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, the third son of Ole Kirk Christiansen, the founder of the LEGO Group. The result was a 9-year license for exclusive North American distribution rights. Samsonite began marketing the sets under the name LEGO by Samsonite in the US in 1961 and Canada in 1962.
King David Shwayder and his wife, Rose Shwayder, lived at 19410 Lucerne Drive until April 1961.
