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Vartan Gregorian, Savior of NY Public Library is DEAD TOO ME!

Vartan Gregorian, a philanthropist and scholar widely credited with saving a down-on-its heels New York Public Library system in the 1980s, died Thursday in Manhattan after being hospitalized for stomach pain.

He was 87.

An immigrant to the USA, he made a pretty big contribution.

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by Anonymousreply 18April 19, 2021 1:31 AM

Lies all lies!!! Jackie O saved that library and she will always be the patron saint of NYPL!

by Anonymousreply 1April 17, 2021 7:58 AM

I thought Carrie Bradshaw saved the library?

by Anonymousreply 2April 17, 2021 8:25 AM

Good work, Vartan.

There may be people like him nowadays, rising up, and we just don’t see them. But it just seems that all philanthropy now is centered on nebulous “awareness” campaigns and laser-focused on niche causes. Saving the NYPL was a broad and giant thing that benefited the entire city. Who’s doing that now?

by Anonymousreply 3April 17, 2021 10:09 AM

Hidden Details of the New York Public Library

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by Anonymousreply 4April 17, 2021 11:19 AM

Jackie O was a minor player. Brooke worked really hard along with some socialites of the time such as Liz Rohatyn, Annette Reed (recently divorced) and of all people Carolyn (then) Kravis and Gayfryd Steinberg and a bunch of high profile writers (such as Toni Morrison) and creative people (such as Bill Blass) on the Board and various committees.

by Anonymousreply 5April 17, 2021 11:24 AM

Gregorian was an amazing man. He was cheated of the presidency of the University of Pennsylvania because of his ethnicity. But the Trustees of Penn were vividly shown their error when he went on to the presidency of Brown and then the New York Public Library, and raised a ton of money.

by Anonymousreply 6April 17, 2021 11:29 AM

R6 the other way around. NYPL then Brown. He arrived at Brown with a list of donor prospects. Brown was the poor member of the Ivies.

by Anonymousreply 7April 17, 2021 11:35 AM

What an inspiring story of a man.

R3 That is an interesting point you make about today’s “awareness” campaigns. I agree with you they seem to raise a lot of money for something that gives little return to the community. I wonder what the library equivalent would be in today’s society.

by Anonymousreply 8April 17, 2021 11:38 AM

The obit says he turned down the presidency of Columbia - does anyone know the story behind that?

by Anonymousreply 9April 17, 2021 11:39 AM

A young cute George Stephanopoulos was one of Vartan's assistants at the NYPL. The Development VP who managed the campaign was Gregory Long who became president of the NY Botanical Garden and ran another huge campaign.

Too bad nobody ever performed financial miracles for the Brooklyn Museum. Very badly managed cultural treasure. NYC should have sold the tiny Mt. Prospect Part (not THE "Prospect Park", but across the avenue) to a huge tech company in return for major gifts to all three institutions there - the library (which is independent of NYPL), the Museum (only 100 million in endowment) and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, which is also a treasure. As well as the Prospect Park Alliance.

BAM is also mismanaged.

by Anonymousreply 10April 17, 2021 11:55 AM

I worked for Gregorian. He was criticized for hanging with the rich elite, but by doing so and by genuinely befriending them, he persuaded them to fund what he thought was important.

He encouraged and supported people and called it as he saw it With an eye to getting things done. A privilege to have known him.

by Anonymousreply 11April 17, 2021 2:37 PM

He was a legend in my adjacent field. I regret I never met him though he was always one degree of separation from me.

by Anonymousreply 12April 17, 2021 2:42 PM

PBS report

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by Anonymousreply 13April 18, 2021 10:36 PM

I always loved his name.

by Anonymousreply 14April 18, 2021 10:39 PM

We knew him as VG.

by Anonymousreply 15April 18, 2021 10:42 PM

Wait, if he was the savior of the library, why is everything named after Schwartzman or Schwartzfeld or Schwartz something or other?

by Anonymousreply 16April 18, 2021 10:57 PM

R16 - Vartan and Brooke shook the Jewy Jew Jew Money Tree and they came through. The Jewy Jewy Jew Jews deserve our thanks. But you knew this, you ugly pig.

by Anonymousreply 17April 19, 2021 1:23 AM

[quote]The obit says he turned down the presidency of Columbia - does anyone know the story behind that?

If it ain't Metro, Fox or Paramount, forget it.

by Anonymousreply 18April 19, 2021 1:31 AM
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