Max Fisher

Max M. Fisher
Fisher's visit to Columbus, Ohio and the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University in the 1990s
Born	July 15, 1908 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Died	March 3, 2005 Franklin, Michigan
Cause of death	Natural causes
Nationality	United States of America
Occupation	Gas station tycoon & philanthropist
Religion	Jewish
Spouse	Sylvia Krell (m. 1934, d. Jun-1952), Marjorie Switow Fisher (m. 1953) Phillip William Fisher (stepson, adopted), Mary Davis Fisher (stepdaughter, adopted) Julie Cummings, Marjorie Martin Fisher
Children	Jane Fisher Sherman Julie Fisher Cummings
Parents	Velvil Fisch (F) Malka Brody (M)

Max Martin Fisher (July 15, 1908-March 3, 2005) was a businessman, philanthropist, and benefactor/alumnus of the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. He spent much of his life raising money for philanthropic and political endeavors and was a supporter of charitable and civic organizations. His skill at diplomacy kept him connected to every administration since President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s on Middle East and Jewish issues^[1]. Max Fisher died about 11:30am in his home surrounded by family in Franklin, Michigan^[2].^{[dead link]}

Fisher was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Russian immigrant parents and grew up in Salem, Ohio, where his father owned a clothing store. He attended The Ohio State University on a football scholarship and graduated with a degree in business administration in 1930. In 1933, Fisher joined his father's oil reclamation business in Detroit as a $15-a-week salesman before forming his own company^[3]. He grew the business into one of the largest gas station chains in the Midwest before selling the business in 1959 to Aurora Gasoline, a company Fisher would chair for 27 years. He was known for his personal Latin mantra: "Sic Trans Gloria."

Following the sale of Aurora to Marathon Oil for $40 million^[4],^{[dead link]} Fisher invested his fortune in real estate after retiring from business in 1963 where he sat on the board of Comerica, the consumer and investment bank, and Sotheby's, in addition to serving as the Honorary Chairman of United Jewish Communities (UJC), Council of Jewish Federations, and the American Jewish Committee^[5]. Fisher supported Jewish and general causes worldwide and played a major role in almost every major Jewish communal organization. He was also the subject of articles, debates, TV documentaries, and a biography, entitled “Quiet Diplomat” by Peter Golden^[6].

For decades Fisher also served as a trusted advisor to U.S. presidents and Israeli prime ministers, rallying for causes from the Six-Day War to Ethiopian Jewry. By quietly forging new ties between Washington and Jerusalem, Fisher pioneered a new era in American Jewish activism and politics and was considered the elder statesman of North American Jewry.

Philanthropic activities

In Detroit, Fisher backed the $60 million Max. M. Fisher Music Center, which serves as the home for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and includes a public high school for the performing arts center called The Max^[7].^{[dead link]} In 1977, he joined with Taubman and Henry Ford II to buy the 73,000-acre (300 km²) Irvine Ranch south of Los Angeles for $337 million; Fisher's group would sell the property six years later for an estimated $1 billion^[8].^{[dead link]}

He also leveraged around $20 million to finance The Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business for development of a new six-building business campus that opened in 1998. An additional pledge of $5 million was given to the Fisher College of Business in February 2005 to support Master of Business Administration programs.

Fisher served as national chairman of UJC's predecessor organizations, the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) from 1965–1967; president of the Council of Jewish Federations from 1969–1972; and chairman of the United Israel Appeal, Inc. (UIA) from 1968–1971; and president of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit from 1959-1964.

In addition to being honorary chair of UJC, he was founding chairman of the board of governors of UJC's overseas partner, the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI). He was also active in the American Jewish Committee, B'nai B'rith International, and Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.

Family

Fisher's first wife, Sylvia Krell Fisher, died in 1952. He re-married in 1953 to Marjorie Switow Fisher. They had five children: Jane Fisher Sherman, former chairperson of the United Israel Appeal, Inc. (UIA) and former co-chair of the Jewish Agency for Israel Committee on Israel; AIDS activist Mary Fisher; Phillip William Fisher; Julie Fisher Cummings; and Marjorie Martin Fisher; as well as 15 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Fisher was the uncle of Stephen M. Ross, a billionaire New York developer and benefactor of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

Wealth

In 2004, Max Fisher had amassed a net worth of $775 million. At 96, he was the oldest member of the Forbes 400 [1].

Other Acknowledgments

In March 2006, a male chapter of BBYO was founded by 12 young men from the state of Michigan with the name of Max Fisher AZA (AZA standing for Aleph Zadik Aleph, the male sector of the organization). Following the foundation, the chapter was officially recognized by the Fisher Foundation in early April. The chapter's charter number is #337.^[9]

References

1. ^ "Max Fisher, 96, Philanthropist and Adviser to Presidents, Dies", New York Times, March 4-2005.
2. ^ "Max Fisher: A lifetime of power and passion", Detroit News, March 4-2005.^{[dead link]}
3. ^ "Max Fisher, 96, Philanthropist and Adviser to Presidents, Dies", New York Times, March 4-2005.
4. ^ "Max Fisher: A lifetime of power and passion", Detroit News, March 4-2005.^{[dead link]}
5. ^ "Max Fisher, 96, Philanthropist and Adviser to Presidents, Dies", New York Times, March 4-2005.
6. ^ "Quiet Diplomat: A Biography of Max M. Fisher (Hardcover)", Amazon.com, June-1992.
7. ^ "The Max Rocks", Metro Times, December 3-2003.^{[dead link]}
8. ^ "Max Fisher: A lifetime of power and passion", Detroit News, March 4-2005.^{[dead link]}
9. ^ http://www.fisheraza.moonfruit.com/#/our-history/4519277220

External links

• Membership on 2004 Forbes 400

Persondata
Name	Fisher, Max M.
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	July 15, 1908
Place of birth	Pittsburgh, PA
Date of death	March 3, 2005
Place of death	Franklin, MI