A. Alfred Taubman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
A. Alfred Taubman
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Taubman in 2010
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Adolph Alfred Taubman
January 31, 1924 Pontiac, Michigan, U.S.
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| Died | April 17, 2015 (aged 91) |
| Education | University of Michigan Lawrence Technological University |
| Occupation | Real estate developer |
| Known for | Designing modern indoor shopping malls |
| Spouse(s) | Reva Kolodney (1948–1977; divorced) Judith (Mazor) Rounick (1982–2015; his death) |
| Children | 5, including Robert S. Taubman |
Adolph Alfred "Al" Taubman (January 31, 1924 – April 17, 2015) was a successful American businessman, investor, and generous giver to charity. He was well-known for creating modern indoor shopping malls.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Alfred Taubman was born in Pontiac, Michigan, on January 31, 1924. His parents were immigrants from Poland. They came to the United States and worked hard to build a new life. His father first worked at a foundry, then became a fruit farmer. Later, he started developing buildings and homes.
When Alfred was nine years old, his family faced tough times during the Great Depression. He had to start working to help support his family.
He went to Pontiac Central High School. After high school, he started studying at the University of Michigan. However, World War II began, and he joined the U.S. Air Force. He served as a mapmaker in the Pacific region during the war. After the war, he returned to the University of Michigan to continue his studies.
Taubman studied architecture at the University of Michigan and Lawrence Technological University. He learned a lot, but he did not officially graduate from either university.
Career Highlights
Building Shopping Malls
Alfred Taubman started his company, Taubman Centers, Inc., in 1973. This company became famous for designing and building modern indoor shopping malls. He is often given credit for making these types of malls popular.
Many of the malls he developed, like the Mall at Short Hills in New Jersey, are still among the most successful shopping centers in the country. His smart ideas helped him build a large fortune. Forbes magazine once estimated his wealth at $3.1 billion. He was on the list of the 400 richest Americans for 20 years.
In 2020, another large real estate company, Simon Property Group, agreed to buy Taubman Centers. This showed how valuable and important Taubman's company had become.
Leading Sotheby's
In 1983, Taubman bought the famous British auction house called Sotheby's. An auction house is a place where valuable items like art and jewelry are sold to the highest bidder. Sotheby's was having financial problems at the time. Taubman helped to improve the company's business and made it successful again. In 1988, he made Sotheby's a public company, meaning its shares could be bought and sold by anyone. His family later sold their main ownership in Sotheby's in 2005.
Other Ventures
Taubman also owned other businesses. In 1982, he bought A&W Restaurants, a well-known fast-food chain. He later sold it in 1994.
He was also involved in sports. From 1983 to 1984, he was the main owner of the Michigan Panthers, a professional football team in the United States Football League. The Panthers even won the league's first championship in 1983!
In the 1990s, he invested in real estate projects in other countries, including Russia and Azerbaijan. He helped develop residential and office buildings there.
Personal Life
Alfred Taubman was married twice. In 1948, he married his college girlfriend, Reva Kolodney. They were married for 29 years and had three children:
- Gayle Taubman Kalisman
- Robert S. Taubman
- William S. Taubman
In 1982, he married Judith Mazor Rounick. She had two children from a previous marriage.
Death
Alfred Taubman passed away on April 17, 2015, at the age of 91. He died from a heart attack in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Philanthropy
Alfred Taubman was a very generous person. He gave large amounts of money to the University of Michigan. Many buildings at the university are named after him, showing his support. These include the A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Science Research Building and the Taubman Health Sciences Library. There is even a school named after him: the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.
He also supported important medical research. He gave money to help find new treatments for serious diseases like Lou Gehrig's disease and deafness. In 2011, he donated $56 million for medical research alone. His total lifetime donations to the University of Michigan reached $141 million.
Taubman also made donations to other universities, such as Brown University and Harvard University, to support their centers for public policy and government studies.
At Lawrence Technological University, the A. Alfred Taubman Student Services Center was completed in 2006. A new engineering, architecture, and life sciences complex was also started in his name in 2015. Taubman even taught a class at Lawrence Tech, sharing his knowledge about real estate development.
In 2009, the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education was finished at the College for Creative Studies. Taubman gave $15 million to help restore and remodel this building.
He was also involved in important groups related to real estate, like the National Realty Committee.
See Also
- Woodward & Lothrop
- May Department Stores
- Wanamaker's
- Michigan Panthers
- François Pinault
- Victor Gruen, inventor of the modern, enclosed shopping mall
