Gerald D. Hines facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gerald D. Hines
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| Born | August 15, 1925 Gary, Indiana, U.S.
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| Died | August 23, 2020 (aged 95) Greenwich, Connecticut, U.S.
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| Occupation | Real estate developer |
| Known for | Founder and chairman of Hines |
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| Family | Gordon E. Hines (cousin) |
Gerald Douglas Hines (born August 15, 1925 – died August 23, 2020) was a famous American real estate developer. He started his own company, Hines, which built many buildings around the world. His company was based in Houston, Texas. By the time he passed away, Hines had projects in 25 different countries!
Contents
Early Life and School
Gerald Hines was born in Gary, Indiana, on August 15, 1925. His parents, Gordon and Myrte Hines, had moved there from Nova Scotia. He went to Purdue University and earned a degree in mechanical engineering in 1948. After college, he worked for a company called American Blower Corp. This job later brought him to Houston, Texas.
Building a Business
After moving to Houston in 1948, Gerald Hines started a small real estate business. In 1957, he officially created his company, Gerald D. Hines Interests. At first, he built warehouses and small office buildings.
A big moment for his company came in 1967. Shell Oil Company hired Hines to build their new main office in downtown Houston. After this, many other famous buildings followed. These include The Galleria, Pennzoil Place, and the Williams Tower (which used to be called Transco Tower). His company built over 900 projects in total!
After 1989, Hines's company started building in Europe. They completed projects in countries like Spain, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Gerald Hines also served as the chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas for a few years.
In 2001, Hines was recognized for his global leadership. He was chosen to be a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This was for his work in making buildings more innovative and efficient.
Gerald Hines passed control of his company to his son, Jeffrey, in 1990. By 2005, Hines was known as one of the biggest real estate companies in the world. Many of their buildings were designed by very famous architects. These include I. M. Pei, Philip Johnson, and César Pelli.
When he died, Hines's company had worked on over 1,900 properties. These included offices, homes, shopping centers, and even sports facilities. The company managed assets worth about $144.1 billion. This made Hines one of the largest real estate groups globally.
Helping Others
Gerald Hines was also known for his generosity. He gave $7 million to the University of Houston's College of Architecture. Because of his gift, the college was renamed the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture. He also helped fund the building of the Chabad Jewish Community Center in Aspen, Colorado.
Personal Life
In 1952, Gerald Hines married Dorothy Schwarz. She was from the family that started FAO Schwarz toy stores. They had two children, Jeff and Jennifer.
Gerald Hines later married Barbara Fritzsche in 1981. She was a painter from Germany. Together, they had two more children, Serena and Trevor.
Gerald Hines passed away on August 23, 2020, at his home in Connecticut. He was 95 years old.
Awards and Honors
Gerald Hines received many awards for his work:
- 1979: Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.
- The Urban Land Institute has a competition and award named after him: the ULI/Gerald D. Hines Student Urban Design Competition.
- 2000: Honor Award from the National Building Museum.
- 2002: Urban Land Institute J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionary Urban Development.
- 2004: The Lynn S. Beedle Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
- 2008: The first Visionary Leadership in Real Estate Development Award from Harvard University.
- 2009: He and his wife Barbara received the Guardian of the Human Spirit Award from the Holocaust Museum Houston.
See also
In Spanish: Gerald D. Hines para niños
