Max Martin Fisher (July 15, 1908 - March 3, 2005) is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is a philanthropist/alumnus of the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. He spent most of his life raising money for philanthropic and political activities and was a supporter of charitable and civilian organizations. His diplomacy skills keep him connected with every administration since President Dwight D. Eisenhower on the Middle East and Jewish issues.
Video Max Fisher
Life and career
Fisher was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to the parents of Russian Jewish immigrants and grew up in Salem, Ohio, where his father owns a clothing store. He attended Ohio State University on a soccer scholarship and graduated with a degree in business administration in 1930. While a student at OSU, he was initiated into the Alpha Epsilon chapter of the Delta Beta Delta Brotherhood, now part of Pi Lambda. Phi Fraternity. In 1933, Fisher joined his father's oil reclamation business in Detroit as a $ 15 per week salesman before forming his own company. He expanded his business into one of the largest gas station networks in the Midwest before selling his business in 1959 to Aurora Gasoline, a company that Fisher would follow for 27 years.
After the sale of Aurora to Marathon Oil for $ 40 million, Fisher invested his estate in real estate after retiring from business in 1963 where he sat on the board of Comerica, the consumer and investment bank, Sotheby's and United Brands, in addition to serving as Chairman of the Jewish Community Honor United (UJC), the Jewish Federation Council, and the American Jewish Committee. Fisher supports Jews and common causes throughout the world and plays a leading role in almost every major Jewish communal organization. He is also the subject of articles, debates, TV documentaries, and biographies, entitled Quiet Diplomat by Peter Golden.
For decades Fisher also served as a trusted advisor to the US president and Israeli prime minister, gathering the causes of the Six Day War to Ethiopian Jews. By stealthily establishing a new relationship between Washington and Jerusalem, Fisher pioneered a new era in American Jewish activism and politics and was considered an elderly Jewish North American statesman.
Maps Max Fisher
Philanthropic Activities
In Detroit, Fisher supports Max $ 60 million. M. Fisher Music Center, which serves as a home for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and includes a public high school for a performing arts center called The Max. In 1977, he joined Taubman and Henry Ford II to buy 73,000 acres (Irvine Ranch) south of Los Angeles for $ 337 million; The Fisher Group will sell the property six years later with an estimated $ 1 billion.
He also spent about $ 20 million to fund Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University for the development of a new six-building business campus opened in 1998. An additional $ 5 million promise was awarded to the Fisher College of Business in February 2005 to support the Master's Degree Program in Administration Business.
Fisher served as the national chairman of UJC's predecessor organization, United Jewish Appeal (UJA) from 1965-1967; president of the Jewish Federation Council from 1969-1972; and chairman of United Israel Appeal, Inc. (UIA) from 1968-1971; and president of the Metropolitan Jewish Federation of Detroit from 1959-1964.
In addition to being UJC's honorary chairman, he established the chairman of the board of governors of UJC's foreign partners, the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI). He is also active in the American Jewish Committee, B'nai B'rith International, and the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.
Personal and family life
Fisher married twice:
In 1934, he married Sylvia Krell who died in 1952. They had one child:
- Jane Fisher Sherman - former chairman of United Israel Appeal, Inc. (UIA) and former chairman of the Israeli Jewish Agency for Israel Committee.
In 1953, he married Marjorie Faith Switow. They have two children together:
- Julie Fisher Cummings
- Marjorie Fisher Aronow
Marjorie also had two children from her previous husband, George Allen Frehling, whom Fisher adopted:
- Mary Fisher - AIDS Activist
- Philip William Fisher - In 2009, he founded Mission Throttle's charity whose purpose was "to develop business tools and to brainstorm ways of creating systematic and positive change to speed up the rate of aid to a population that under-served. "
Fisher has 15 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
He died around 11:30 am at his home in Franklin, Michigan, surrounded by families.
Max financed his nephew's school, Stephen M. Ross, who called Max, "the most important example and inspiration to me in life."
Wealth
In 2004, Max Fisher has amassed a net worth of $ 775 million. At 96, he is the oldest member of Forbes 400.
Legacy
Historical documents
Max Fisher's paper is available for public research at the Walter P. Reuther Library in Detroit, Michigan. The library's website explains that, "This great collection documents the life and career of Fisher as a successful Detroit businessman and investor, powerful fundraiser and influential Republican power broker, Jewish community leader, and philanthropist, including correspondence, documents, speeches, interviews , photographs and other media, and documents from his biographer. "
Organization B'nai B'rith Youth (BBYO) Engagement
In March 2006, the male chapter of BBYO was founded by 12 young men from the state of Michigan under the name Max Fisher AZA (AZA stands for Aleph Zadik Aleph, male sector of the organization). Following the foundation, this chapter was officially recognized by the Fisher Foundation in early April. The charter number of chapters is # 337. Since the Fisher charter in 2006, this chapter has grown at the chapter, regional and international level. Four times a member of Fisher AZA has served as President for all BBYO Michigan Territories; although the chapter is only about 10 years old, an International President has come from Fisher. Fishermen always set standards on how to behave in BBYO; in fact, they have won the Sport award in the Michigan Convention Convention several times since it was founded. Each year some members represent the Michigan Region by attending BBYO International Convention in February, and by attending countless summer programs around the world every summer, many focus on developing leadership skills. Fisher has won several awards, including the Henry Monsky award recognizing the most extraordinary chapters throughout the International Order. At a more local level, each year several Fishermen apply to individual awards including Bronze and Silver Bronze Stars (recognizing extraordinary participation) and the Tree of Life Awards (recognizing those who bring more members into the order through recruitment). Additional awards are available to those who excel in community service as well. Recently, Fisher has received publicity to launch the Database Platform that hosts several hundred individual candidacy platforms for offices from around the world. This platform starts from chapter level, to regional and international levels as well.
References
External links
- Membership in 2004 Forbes 400
- Max M. Fisher Papers at Walter P. Reuther Library
Source of the article : Wikipedia