Morris Ullman (1835-1908) was born on March 23, 1835, of Jewish parents in Buchau, Wurttemberg, Germany. In 1849, at the age of fourteen, he emigrated to the United States and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Occupational success eluded him in Philadelphia, and after several years, he moved with his brother, Emanuel, to Selma, Alabama, where they established themselves successfully as clothiers and cotton plantation owners. On February 17, 1857, Ullman became a United States citizen in Greensboro, North Carolina.

At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Ullman joined the Confederate Army. His army career, however, was short-lived. On January 30, 1863, while attempting to exchange two bales of cotton for supplies for his family, he was arrested by Union soldiers in Memphis, Tennessee, and was charged with smuggling and with being a spy. He was confined in the military prison located in Alton, Illinois, for over a year. During this time he was unable to see his fiancee of four years, Lenche Abraham (1835-1893). She, however, waited for him to be released and on October 26, 1864, they were married at the Synagogue, Rampart Street, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Ullman's holdings were devastated by the war, and in 1865, he and his bride moved to Franklin, Pennsylvania, to take advantage of the oil boom. His wife, however, was unhappy in Franklin, and she persuaded him to move to Ohio. They moved to Youngstown in 1866 and a few years later settled in Cleveland. While in Youngstown, he and his brother, Emanuel, and cousin, Leopard Einstein, embarked in the wholesale liquor business as Ullman Brothers, which later became known as Ullman, Einstein Co. Over the years the liquor business continued to grow, and by 1919 Ullman, Einstein Co. was one of the largest liquor distilleries in the United States. The business was forced to dissolve with the enactment of national Prohibition , and the family turned to the sale of securities and real estate as a result.

While in Cleveland, Ullman often participated in Jewish organizations and community functions. He joined Tifereth Israel Congregation on September 13, 1868, and became a board member of the Temple that same year. He was an active member of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the Hebrew Relief Society, the Excelsior Club, and of B'nai B'rith.

Monroe Ullman (1866-1938), son of Morris Ullman, was a Cleveland, Ohio resident and a leader in many Jewish philanthropic activities. He was born in Franklin, Pennsylvania, but lived most of his early years in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1892 he married Florence Fuld (1870-1963) of Albany, New York. Two sons, Howard F. and Rufus M., were born to the couple. When Ullman, Einstein Co. was dissolved in 1919, Monroe Ullman, assisted by Rufus, formed Ullman & Co., dealers in securities and the Ullman and Einstein Realty Company. Monroe also served as the director of the Jewish Social Service Bureau for more than thirty years.