Harold Schnitzer
Harold J. Schnitzer | |
---|---|
Born | June 8, 1923 |
Died | April 27, 2011 (age 87) |
Education | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Occupation(s) | Real estate developer Philanthropist |
Known for | Founder of Harsch Investment Properties |
Spouse | Arlene Schnitzer |
Harold J. Schnitzer (June 8, 1923 – April 27, 2011)[1] was an American businessman, civic leader, and philanthropist. Schnitzer is best remembered for having made over $80 million in charitable gifts over the course of his lifetime, including the establishment of the Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon and at the University of Oregon.
Biography
Early years
Harold Schnitzer was born in 1923 to Rose and Sam Schnitzer, ethnic
Harold anticipated entering the steel industry from an early age, studying metallurgy at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from which he graduated in 1944.[2]
Following graduation, Schnitzer served a stint in the
Career
After the war, Schnitzer entered the family business,
The new enterprise founded was a real estate investment company known as Harsch Investment Properties.[2] The name of the firm, Harsch, derived from the first three letters of Harold Schnitzer's first and last names.[3]
Schnitzer began his career as a
Charitable giving
From 1993 until his death in 2011, Harold Schnitzer and his wife
Other prominent Oregon institutions supported by the Schnitzer family through the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation included the Oregon Zoo[4] and Oregon Public Broadcasting.[6]
Schnitzer was also a financial supporter of such cultural institutions as the
Death and legacy
Harold Schnitzer died April 27, 2011, in Portland, Oregon, following a two-year battle with abdominal cancer.[3]
Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber recalled of Schnitzer that "he was incredibly easy to be around. He made you feel at ease. He was powerful and wealthy yet at ease. He didn't take himself that seriously."[4]
Schnitzer was remembered by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden as "one of those really rare individuals you call a vintage Oregonian.... who almost always says when you begin to talk to him, 'What can I do to help?'"[2]
References
- ^ "Harold J. Schnitzer obituary". The Oregonian. May 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Paul Haist, "Harold Schnitzer Passes from Scene," Jewish Review, vol. 53, no. 20 (May 1, 2011), pp. 1, 30.
- ^ a b c d "Harold Schnitzer: 1923–2011," University of Oregon Foundation, giving.uoregon.edu/
- ^ a b c d Legacy of Portland's Harold Schnitzer Extended from Real Estate to Wide-Ranging Philanthropy," The Oregonian, April 27, 2011; updated April 28, 2011.
- ^ Alan D. Abbey, "The Eulogizer: Philanthropist Harold Schnitzer..." Jewish Telegraph Agency, May 12, 2011.
- ^ "The Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation Make $1.5 Million Gift to OPB," Oregon Public Broadcasting, pressroom.opb.org/ September 17, 2007.
External links
- Harsch Investment Properties homepage, www.harsch.com/