Joseph S. Gruss

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph S. Gruss
BornMarch 19, 1903
DiedJuly 3, 1993 (age 91)
NationalityUnited States
OccupationBusinessman
Known forfounder of Gruss & Company
ChildrenMartin David Gruss
Evelyn Gruss Lipper

Joseph Saul Gruss (March 19, 1903 – July 3, 1993)[1] was a Ukrainian-born American financier, businessman, and philanthropist who supported Jewish education.[2]

Early life[]

Joseph Saul Gruss was born on March 19, 1903 to a Jewish family in Lviv, Ukraine one of seven children.[1] His father, Isaac, was a Talmudic scholar and banker; his mother belonged to a family involved in the export grain business.[1]

Career[]

In 1939, Gruss founded a travel agency in New York City.[1] While he and his wife were in the United States, the Nazis invaded eastern Europe, and they were unable to return home. Their first born child[1] and many of their relatives perished in the Holocaust.[2] In 1942, he founded the Wall Street firm, Gruss & Company,[3] which focused on mergers and arbitrage primarily in the oil and gas industries. Thereafter, he engaged in oil and gas exploration and development primarily in Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and West Virginia.[2]

Philanthropy[]

In the 1970s, Gruss focused on philanthropy particularly for Jewish education.[2] He supported hundreds of Jewish schools and thousands of students and educators.[1] He funded Yeshiva University's Caroline and Joseph S. Gruss Institute in Jerusalem;[4] the Caroline Zelaznik Gruss and Joseph S. Gruss Visiting Professorship in Talmudic Civil Law; and the Fund for Jewish Education in association with the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies and the United Jewish Appeal of New York.[3] In 1989, he funded the expansion of the White Plains campus of the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester to help accommodate the demands of Westchester's largest Jewish day school.[5] The Gruss Life Monument Fund was founded in 1991 to continue his charitable activities after his death.[1] The Joseph S Gruss Yeshiva High School in Brooklyn, New York bears his name.

Personal life[]

In 1934, he married Caroline Zelaznik (died 1987), a lawyer.[1] They had two children: Martin David Gruss,[6] and Dr. Evelyn Gruss Lipper. His daughter was married to Hollywood producer, author, and former New York City deputy mayor, Kenneth Lipper.[2]

Death and legacy[]

Gruss died on July 3, 1993. His grandson, Joshua Carl Gruss married fashion designer Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss.[7]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Gruss Life Monument Fund: "Our Founders - The Gruss Life Monument Funds was established in 1991 to perpetuate the philanthropic endeavors of Caroline and Joseph Gruss. Mrs. Gruss died in 1987, Mr. Gruss in 1993, but there is no doubt that their legacy is eternal" Archived 2015-03-15 at the Wayback Machine retrieved March 12, 2015
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e New York Times: "Joseph Gruss, 91, Philanthropist Who Supported Jewish Schools" By ERIC PACE July 5, 1993
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b The Tikvah Center at NYU School of Law: "The Annual Caroline and Joseph S. Gruss Lecture" retrieved March 12, 2015
  4. ^ Yeshiva University: "Caroline and Joseph S. Gruss Institute in Jerusalem" retrieved March 12, 2015
  5. ^ "Solomon Schechter School of Westchester: History of the School". schechterwestchester.org.
  6. ^ Welling, Kate; Gabelli, Mario (2018). Merger Masters: Tales of Arbitrage. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 49–57. ISBN 978-0-231-19042-8.
  7. ^ New York Times: "WEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS; Shoshanna Lonstein, Joshua Gruss" May 11, 2003
Retrieved from ""