NEW YORK, NY, Nathan Rosen, the retired president of Superior Printing Ink Co., Inc., died on November 30 in New York City. He was 86 years old. Mr. Rosen enjoyed a 62-year career with Superior, serving as company president for 28 years, from 1961 to 1989, when he was named managing director, a post he held until 1997 when he retired from the firm. "He was one of the big three here at Superior, along with Joe Simons and Meyer Mandel, who helped make our company what it is today. Now they are all gone, but they have left us a strong legacy," said Harvey Brice, son-in-law of Mr. Rosen and current president of Superior. Each of the "big three" had been employed at Superior for more than 25 years, when founder Harry G. Kriegel, sold his interests to them. Mr. Rosen was named president, Mr. Simons, vice president-secretary and Mr. Mandel, treasurer. Together, they led the firm as a team until 1989. Mr. Mandel died in 1991, and Mr. Simons passed in 1996. Today, third- and fourth-generation family members manage Superior. Harvey Brice was named president in 1989. Earlier this year, Michael R. Brice, grandson to Mr. Rosen and son of Harvey Brice, was promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Rosen was among the first graduating class of Brooklyn College in 1933, at the age of only 19. Fresh out of graduate school at New York University with a master's degree in chemistry, he had trouble finding employment at the height of the Depression in 1935. Six months later, the woman he was dating, Ansel Kriegel, who would later become his wife, mentioned Mr. Rosen's predicament to her father. Harry G. Kriegel founded Superior in 1918, after convincing William Randolph Hearst to lease him an unused ink manufacturing plant in Hoboken, New Jersey. Mr. Rosen began his career at Superior the day after Christmas in 1935. At the time, as Mr. Rosen was fond of recounting, he had no background in graphic arts, had never seen a printing press and had no idea how ink was formulated and manufactured. Through long hours of independent research, he educated himself about printing ink technology and went to work in the company's laboratory as an ink chemist, eventually rising to the position of chief chemist. During his tenure in the laboratory, Mr. Rosen pioneered Superior's successful development of lithographic ink technology. "His foresight, at a time when most of our competitors were continuing to concentrate their efforts in the old letterpress technology, gave Superior a crucial cutting edge in creating a huge market share in New York," said Superior President, Harvey Brice. "This local success would in turn pave the way for our nationwide expansion beginning in the 1970s." His success at Superior, along with his many contributions to the industry, earned Mr. Rosen recognition as a leader among his peers. In 1972, the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) presented Mr. Rosen with its highest honor, the Ault Award, for his extensive contributions to the industry, including serving as president of NAPIM. The association had previously named him Printing Ink Pioneer in 1966. The New York Printing Ink Production Club, where he was among the earliest members and a past president, honored him as Master Ink Technologist. Additionally, Mr. Rosen also served as president of the New York Printing Ink Manufacturers Association. In 1996, he received the unique and prestigious 200 Year Achievement Award from Print/New Jersey, which recognizes age plus years of service to the industry. Mr. Rosen is survived by his wife, Ansel; daughter, Lorie (wife of Superior President Harvey Brice), grandsons, Michael Brice (Superior's COO) and Chris Brice; and great grandchildren, Andrew, Matthew, Julia, Lilly and Wilder.