Richard Gimbel
Richard Gimbel | |
|---|---|
| Born | Richard Gimbel July 26, 1898 Atlantic City, New Jersey, US |
| Died | May 27, 1970 (age 71) Munich, Germany |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | B.A. Yale University |
| Spouse | Julia de Fernex Millhiser |
| Children | 7 including Roger Gimbel |
| Family | Adam Gimbel (grandfather) Jules Mastbaum (uncle) Etta Wedell Mastbaum (aunt) |
Richard Gimbel (July 26, 1898 – May 27, 1970) was an American businessman, World War I and World War II veteran, and book collector who served as president of curator of aeronautical literature at the Yale University Library.[1]
Biography[edit]
Gimbel was born July 26, 1898, in Atlantic City, the son of Ellis A. Gimbel and Minnie (née Mastbaum).[1] His father was chairman of the board at the Gimbel Brothers Company which his grandfather, Adam Gimbel, founded in Vincennes, Indiana in 1842.[1] His mother was the sister of theatre owner Jules Mastbaum who was married to Etta Wedell Mastbaum. Gimbel studied in Europe and graduated with a B.A. from Yale University with honors in 1920.[1] He served with the 310th Field Artillery Regiment during World War I rising from private to first lieutenant.[1] After taking a year off to travel the world, Gimbel worked for his family's business overseeing the construction of their Philadelphia store in 1927 and then as a vice president of Gimbel Brothers Company. In 1935, he left Gimbel Brothers after a dispute with his cousin Bernard Gimbel over strategy and moved to Miami where he profitably ran a Richards store. In 1940, he joined the Army Air Corp as a lieutenant colonel and with the Eighth Air Force as a pilot during World War II.[1] In 1951, he was appointed Professor of Air Science and Tactics at Yale University.[1] In 1953, he retired as full colonel in 1953 and stayed with the library as curator of aeronautical literature.[1] He was also a fellow of Pierson College.[1]
Book collection[edit]
In 1942, during the London blitz, he visited a bombed‐out bookstore in London and purchased a trunk of aeronautical books.[1] Thereafter, he was a voracious collector of books, specializing in Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, and Thomas Paine in addition to anything aeronautical.[1] He purchased the Philadelphia home of Edgar Allan Poe, filled it with his non-aeronautical collection, and presented it to the city of Philadelphia as the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum.[1] Upon his death, he had over 100,000 items in his aeronautical collection.[1]
Personal life[edit]
Gimbel was married to Julia de Fernex Millhiser.[1] They had two sons,[1] Roger Gimbel and Dan Gimbel;[2] and five daughters,[1] Sally Gimbel Taussig,[3] Ann Gimbel Goff,[4][5] Joyce Gimbel Trifield,[6] Patricia Gimbel Lewis,[7] and Pamela Gimbel Lehman.[8][9] On May 27, 1970, Gimbel died of a heart attack in Munich, Germany.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q New York Times: "Col. Richard Gimbel Dies at 71; Flier Was Yale Library Curator" May 28, 1970
- ^ Philadelphia Inquirer: "Obituary: Dan Gimbel" May 8, 2016
- ^ Jewish Exponent: "Ralph Taussig, 84, Investment Banker" By D. Michaels May 8, 2013
- ^ Philadelphia Inquirer: "Obituary: Ann Gimbel Goff" November 8, 2012
- ^ New York Times: "Dr. Sorokin Wed To James R. Goff" September 29, 1986
- ^ Philadelphia Inquirer: "Obituary: Richard L. Trifield" Jan. 18, 2013
- ^ New York Times: "Allison Lewis, Todd Clapp" October 14, 2007
- ^ New York Times: "Tracy Elias, Nicholas Lehman" July 6, 1997
- ^ New York Times: "Amy Cassidy, Zachary Lehman" August 18, 1996
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1898 births
- 1970 deaths
- American retail chief executives
- American people of German-Jewish descent
- American book and manuscript collectors
- Yale University alumni
- Gimbel family
- United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II
- United States Air Force officers
- Mastbaum family
- United States Army personnel of World War I