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{{Short description|American businessman and philanthropist (1908–2005)}}
{{Infobox Person
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
|name = Max. M fisher
{{Infobox person
|image =
|image_size =
| name =
|caption =
| image = MaxFisher.jpg
| caption = Fisher (center), [[John Bugas]] (left), [[Henry Ford II]] (right) at Bugas's [[Wyoming]] ranch
|birth_name =
| birth_name = Max Martin Fisher
|birth_date = 15 july, 1908
| birth_date = {{birth date|1908|07|15}}
|birth_place = Pittsburgh, PA
| birth_place = [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|death_date = 3-Mar-2005
| death_date = {{death date and age|2005|03|03|1908|07|15}}
|death_place =Franklin, MI
| death_place = [[Franklin, Michigan]], U.S.
|death_cause =Natural Causes
|resting_place =
| resting_place =
|resting_place_coordinates =
| resting_place_coordinates =
|residence =
| other_names =
| known_for =
|nationality = United states
|other_names =
| education =
| alma_mater =
|known_for =Gas station tycoon and his donations to isreal and jewish federation
|education =
| employer =
|alma_mater =
| occupation = Businessman
|employer =
| title =
| height =
|occupation =Gas station tycoon
|home_town =
| term =
|title =
| predecessor =
|salary =
| successor =
|networth =
| party =
|height =
| boards =
| spouse = {{ubl|Sylvia Krell (1934–1952)|Marjorie Switow (m. 1953)}}
|weight =
|term =
| partner =
| children = 5, including [[Mary Fisher (activist)|Mary]]
|predecessor =
| relations = [[Stephen M. Ross]] (nephew)
|successor =
|party =
| signature =
| website = {{URL|https://web.archive.org/web/20130703201311/http://maxmfisher.org|Archives}}
|boards =
|religion =
| footnotes =
}}
|spouse =Sylvia Krell (m. 1934, d. Jun-1952), Marjorie Switow Fisher (m. 1-Jul-1953), Phillip William Fisher (stepson, adopted), Julie Cummings, Marjorie Martin Fisher
'''Max Martin Fisher''' (July 15, 1908 – March 3, 2005) was an American [[businessman]] and [[Philanthropy|philanthropist]], and presidential advisor. Fisher founded Aurora Gasoline, an oil company that owned [[Speedway (store)|Speedway]] gas stations. After selling the company, he was chairman of [[United Brands]] and several other companies and invested in large-scale real estate projects.
|partner =
|children =Jane Sherman
|parents = father-Velvil Fisch mother-Malka Brody
|relations =
|signature =
|website =
|footnotes =
}}{{Unreferenced|date=November 2007}}


A major fundraiser for Republican Party candidates, Fisher was an advisor on Middle East and Jewish issues to every administration from President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] to President [[George W. Bush]].<ref name="nytimes.com">"[https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/04/national/04fisher.html?_r=1&oref=slogin Max Fisher, 96, Philanthropist and Adviser to Presidents, Dies]", ''The New York Times'', March 4, 2005.</ref>
'''Max M. Fisher''', J.D., ([[July 15]][[1908]]-[[March 3]][[2005]]) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was born in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]] to Russian immigrant parents. He was the Honorary Chairman of [[United Jewish Communities]] (UJC).


Fisher spent much of his life raising money for philanthropic endeavors. For more than forty years, he led civic organizations, organized business leaders, and helmed investment efforts in Detroit. Outside Michigan, he supported American Jewish and Israeli causes.
Among [[North America|North America's]] leading industrialists and charitable givers, Fisher supported Jewish and general causes worldwide and played a major role in almost every major Jewish communal organization. For decades he also served as a trusted advisor to [[United States|U.S.]] presidents and [[Israel|Israeli]] prime ministers, rallying for causes from the [[Six-Day War]] to [[Ethiopia|Ethiopian]] Jewry. By quietly forging new ties between [[Washington, DC|Washington]] and [[Jerusalem]], Fisher pioneered a new era in American Jewish activism and politics and was considered the elder statesman of North American Jewry.


==Life and career==
Born in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]] in 1908 to [[Russia|Russian]] Jewish immigrants, Fisher grew up in [[Salem, Ohio]], where his father owned a clothing store. He attended [[The Ohio State University]] on a [[football]] scholarship. In [[1930]] he entered the oil business for [[Keystone Oil]], eventually building a thriving concern in oil and real estate. The oil business was eventually sold to [[Aurora Gasoline]], a company Fisher would chair for 27 years. Following the sale of Aurora to [[Marathon Oil]], Fisher invested his fortune in real estate. He became a leader in the [[Detroit]] Jewish community, the national Jewish scene, and supporter of nonsectarian charities.
Fisher was born in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], to [[Russian Jewish]] immigrant parents and grew up in [[Salem, Ohio|Salem]], [[Ohio]], where his father owned a clothing store. He attended [[Ohio State University]]<!--Wikipedians do not use "The" as part of Ohio State's name; it is considered a marketing gimmick, and routinely deleted.--> on a [[American football|football]] scholarship and graduated with a degree in business administration in 1930. While a student at OSU, he was initiated into the Alpha Epsilon chapter of the [[Phi Beta Delta (fraternity)|Phi Beta Delta]] fraternity, which is now part of the [[Pi Lambda Phi]] fraternity.<ref>{{cite book|title=Makio|year=1929|publisher=The Ohio State University|location=Columbus|page=211}}</ref>


In 1930, Fisher joined his father's Keystone Oil Refining Company, a motor oil reclamation business, in Detroit as a $15-a-week salesman before forming his own company in 1932.<ref name="nytimes.com"/><ref name=JHSMobit>{{cite web |url=https://www.michjewishhistory.org/gallery/2017/11/max-fisher.html |title=Max Fisher: Giant of philanthropy |work=Jewish Historical Society of Michigan |location=[[West Bloomfield Township, Michigan]] |access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref> He grew the business, Aurora Gasoline, into one of the largest gas station chains in the [[Midwest]] before selling the business in 1959 to [[Marathon Petroleum]] for $40 million.<ref name="detnews.com">"[http://www.detnews.com/2005/obituaries/0503/05/A01-107691.htm Max Fisher: A lifetime of power and passion]", Detroit News, March 4-2005.{{dead link|date=July 2011}}</ref> After retiring from management in 1963, he sat on the board of [[Comerica]], the consumer and investment bank, [[Sotheby's]], and [[Chiquita Brands International|United Brands]].
== Philanthropic Activities ==
In [[Detroit]], for example, Fisher backed the [[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]]. He also levered around $20M to finance The Ohio State University's [[Max M. Fisher College of Business|Fisher College of Business]].


Fisher reinvested his fortune in major real estate deals. In 1977, he joined with [[A. Alfred Taubman|Taubman]] and [[Henry Ford II]] to buy the {{convert|73000|acre|km2|adj=on}} [[Irvine Ranch]] south of Los Angeles for $337 million; Fisher's group would sell the property six years later for an estimated $1 billion.<ref name="detnews.com"/>{{dead link|date=July 2011}}.
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]] (UIA) from 1968-1971; and president of the [[Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit]] from 1959-1964.


For decades, Fisher served as a trusted advisor to [[United States|U.S.]] presidents and [[Israel]]i prime ministers, rallying for causes from the [[Six-Day War]] to [[Ethiopia]]n [[Beta Israel|Jewry]]. By quietly forging new ties between [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] and [[Jerusalem]], he pioneered a new era in American Jewish activism and politics and was considered the elder statesman of North American Jewry. In 1975, he was asked to personally mend relations between the Gerald Ford administration and Israeli leadership. <ref name="nytimes.com" /> [[Jimmy Carter]] invited him to watch the signing of the [[Camp David Accords]] in 1977.<ref name=JHSMobit/>
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]]. He was also active in the [[American Jewish Committee]], [[B'nai B'rith International]], and [[Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society]].


From the 1960s through the 1980s, Fisher was one of the most successful fundraisers for the Republican Party. He was a delegate from Michigan at the [[1964 Republican National Convention|1964]], [[1968 Republican National Convention|1968]], and [[1976 Republican National Convention|1976]] Republican National Conventions, and an alternate in the [[1988 Republican National Convention|1988]] [[Republican National Convention]].<ref name=PoliticalGraveyard>{{cite web |last=Kestenbaum |first=Lawrence |author-link=Lawrence Kestenbaum |url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/PA/jewish.html |title=Jewish Politicians in Pennsylvania (religion or ancestry) |work=[[The Political Graveyard]] |date=August 19, 2019 |access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref>
==Family==


== Philanthropic activities ==
He was the father of Jane Sherman, chairperson of the UIA, and co-chair of JAFI's Israel Committee and AIDS activist, Mary Fisher.
===Jewish organizations===
Fisher supported [[Jewish]] and general causes worldwide and played a major role in almost every major Jewish communal organization. Fisher served as national chairman of UJC's predecessor organizations, the [[United Jewish Appeal]] (UJA) from 1965 to 1967; president of the [[Council of Jewish Federations]] from 1969 to 1972; and chairman of the [[United Israel Appeal, Inc.]] (UIA) from 1968 to 1971; and president of the [[Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit]] from 1959 to 1964. He served as Honorary Chairman of [[United Jewish Communities]] (UJC), Council of Jewish Federations, and the American Jewish Committee.<ref name="nytimes.com"/>


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]].
Fisher is survived by his wife, Marjorie Switow Fisher; five children: Jane (Mrs. Larry) Sherman; Mary Fisher, Phillip Wm. Fisher (married to Lauren); Julie (Mrs. Peter) Cummings; Marjorie Martin Fisher, as well as 15 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.


===Detroit===
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]].
In [[Detroit]], Fisher backed the $60 million [[Orchestra Hall (Detroit)|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.<ref>"[http://metrotimes.com/editorial/review.asp?id=81495 The Max Rocks]", ''Metro Times'', December 3-2003. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113231908/http://metrotimes.com/editorial/review.asp?id=81495 |date=November 13, 2013 }}</ref>

===Ohio State University===
He also donated around $20 million to finance Ohio State University's [[Max M. Fisher College of Business|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.

==Personal life and family==
Fisher was married twice:<ref name=AP1>[https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/04/national/04fisher.html?_r=2&oref=slogin ''New York Times'': "Max Fisher, 96, Philanthropist and Adviser to Presidents, Dies" By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS] March 4, 2005</ref><ref name=DFP1>[http://www.detroitmemories.com/files/newsfromhome/03-03-2005_max_fisher.pdf ''Detroit Free Press'': "Max Fisher, Detroit benefactor, dies at 96" BY BILL MCGRAW] March 4, 2005</ref>

In 1934, he married Sylvia Krell who died in 1952. They had one child, Jane Fisher Sherman,<ref name=AP1 /><ref name=DFP1 /> former chairman of the [[United Israel Appeal, Inc.]] (UIA) and former co-chair of the [[Jewish Agency for Israel]] Committee on Israel.<ref name=Crains1>[http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20100314/FREE/303149976/carrying-on-maxs-vision Crain's Detroit Business: "Carrying on Max's vision: Fishers continue legacy of giving" By Sherri Welch] March 14, 2010</ref>

In 1953, he married Marjorie Faith Switow. They had two children together: Julie Fisher Cummings<ref name=AP1 /><ref name=DFP1 /> and Marjorie Fisher Aronow.<ref name=AP1 /><ref name=DFP1 /> Switow also had two children from her prior husband, George Allen Frehling, whom Fisher adopted: [[Mary Fisher (activist)|Mary Fisher]], [[AIDS]] activist<ref name=AP1 /><ref name=DFP1 /> and Philip William Fisher, who founded the charity ''Mission Throttle''<ref name=AP1 /><ref name=DFP1 /><ref>[http://www.thejewishnews.com/capitalism-and-philanthropy Detroit Jewish News: "Phillip Fisher's Mission Throttle is breaking new ground in the world of giving"] May 31, 2012</ref>

Fisher has 15 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Fisher financed the schooling of his nephew [[Stephen M. Ross]],<ref name=dbusiness>{{cite news|last1=Murray|first1=Tom|title=Family Ties: Stephen M. Ross parlayed two family loans into a multibillion-dollar enterprise|url=http://www.dbusiness.com/March-April-2015/Family-Ties/|accessdate=10 October 2015|work=dbusiness|date=June 4, 2015}}</ref> who called him, "the most important role model and inspiration for me in life".<ref name=michiganross>{{cite web|title=Ross' connections with Michigan|url=https://michiganross.umich.edu/news/ross%E2%80%99-connections-michigan|website=michiganross|accessdate=10 October 2015}}</ref>

He died March 3, 2005, at about 11:30&nbsp;am in his home in [[Franklin, Michigan]], surrounded by family. He is interred at the Clover Hill Park Cemetery in [[Birmingham, Michigan]].<ref name=PoliticalGraveyard/><ref>"[http://www.detnews.com/2005/obituaries/0503/05/A01-107691.htm Max Fisher: A lifetime of power and passion]", ''Detroit News'', March 4-2005. {{dead link|date=July 2011}}</ref>


==Wealth==
==Wealth==


In [[2004]], Max Fisher had amassed a [[net worth]] of $775 million. At 96, he was the oldest member of the [[Forbes 400]] [http://www.forbes.com/lists/results.jhtml?passListId=54&passYear=2004&passListType=Person&searchParameter1=unset&searchParameter2=unset&resultsHowMany=25&resultsSortProperties=-numberfield3%2C-numberfield2&resultsSortCategoryName=Age&fromColumnClick=true&bktDisplayField=&bktDisplayFieldLength=&category1=category&category2=category&passKeyword=&resultsStart=1].
In 2004, Max Fisher had amassed a [[net worth]] of $775 million. At 96, he was the oldest member of the [[Forbes 400]].{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}


==Legacy==
==Other Acknowledgments==
Fisher was the subject of articles, debates, TV documentaries, and an authorized biography, ''Quiet Diplomat'' by Peter Golden.<ref>"[https://www.amazon.com/dp/0845348469 Quiet Diplomat: A Biography of Max M. Fisher (Hardcover)]", Amazon.com, June-1992.</ref>
In March [[2006]], a male chapter of the [[B'nai B'rith Youth Organization]] (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.


===Historical documents===
Max Fisher's papers are available for public research at the [[Walter P. Reuther Library]] in Detroit, Michigan. The library's website explains that, "This large collection documents Fisher's life and career as a successful Detroit industrialist and investor, influential Republican Party fundraiser and power broker, Jewish community leader, and major philanthropist. It includes correspondence, documents, speeches, interviews, photographs and other media, and documents from his biographer."<ref name="Collections Spotlight: Max M. Fisher Papers">{{cite web|last1=Ergas|first1=Aimee|title=Collections Spotlight: Max M. Fisher Papers|url=http://reuther.wayne.edu/node/12936|website=Walter P. Reuther Library|publisher=Wayne State University|accessdate=24 June 2015}}</ref>

===B'nai B'rith Youth Organization (BBYO) Involvement===
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. Since Fisher's charter in 2006, the chapter has flourished at the chapter, regional, and international level. Four times has a member from Fisher AZA served as the President for all of Michigan Region BBYO; even though the chapter has only been around for 10 years, an International President has already hailed from Fisher. Fishermen always set the standard for how to behave in BBYO; in fact, they have won the Sportsmanship award at Michigan Region's Regional Convention many times since its founding. Each year several members represent Michigan Region by attending BBYO's International Convention in February, and by attending countless summer programs around the globe each summer, many of which focus on building leadership skills. Fisher has won several awards, including the Henry Monsky award which recognizes the most outstanding chapters across the International Order. On a more local level, each year several Fishermen apply for individual awards including the Bronze and Silver Stars of David (recognizing outstanding participation) and the Tree of Life Award (recognizes those individuals who bring more members into the order via recruiting). Additional awards are available for those who excel in community service as well. Recently, Fisher has received publicity for starting a Platform Database which hosts several hundred platforms of individuals' candidacy for office from around the world. The platforms range from the chapter level, to the regional and international levels as well.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Changing teens lives every day|url=http://fisheraza.weebly.com/|access-date=2020-06-30|website=Changing teens lives every day}}</ref>

===Telegraph Road===
On November 30, 2005, [[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush]] signed the 2006 appropriations bill related to the [[US Department of Transportation]] and other agencies. Contained in that law was a provision that named a {{convert|30|mi|km|adj=on}} stretch of Telegraph Road ([[U.S. Route 24 in Michigan|U.S. Route 24]]) from [[Interstate 96|I-96]] to its northern end at [[Interstate 75 in Michigan|I-75]] the "Max M. Fisher Memorial Highway";<ref>{{cite book |author= United States Congress |author-link= United States Congress |date= November 30, 2005 |title= Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 |location= Washington, DC |publisher= Government Printing Office |id= {{USPL|109|115}} }}</ref> the highway was dedicated in May 2008.<ref name="op">{{cite news <!--|url=http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/050608/loc_20080506279.shtml--> |title= Max Fisher Honored with Sign Dedication |last= Hopkins |first= Carol <!--|access-date= May 8, 2008--> |date=May 5, 2008 |work= [[Oakland Press]] |location= Pontiac, MI |oclc= 15217724 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[https://www.forbes.com/finance/lists/54/2004/LIR.jhtml?passListId=54&passYear=2004&passListType=Person&uniqueId=U2RU&datatype=Person Membership on 2004 Forbes 400]{{dead link|date=January 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
*[https://reuther.wayne.edu/node/12891 Max M. Fisher Papers] at the [[Walter P. Reuther Library]]


{{Authority control}}
*[http://www.forbes.com/finance/lists/54/2004/LIR.jhtml?passListId=54&passYear=2004&passListType=Person&uniqueId=U2RU&datatype=Person Membership on 2004 Forbes 400]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Fisher, Max M.}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fisher, Max M.}}
[[Category:1908 births]]
[[Category:1908 births]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:American businesspeople]]
[[Category:American businesspeople in the oil industry]]
[[Category:People from Columbiana County, Ohio]]
[[Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Ohio State University alumni]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Ohio]]
[[Category:American Jews]]
[[Category:Heads of the Jewish Agency for Israel]]
[[Category:Jewish businesspeople]]
[[Category:People from Salem, Ohio]]
[[Category:Ohio State University Fisher College of Business alumni]]

[[Category:United States Football League executives]]
[[he:מקס פישר]]
[[Category:People from Franklin, Michigan]]
[[Category:20th-century American philanthropists]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century American Jews]]
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]

Latest revision as of 03:56, 16 October 2024

Max Fisher
Fisher (center), John Bugas (left), Henry Ford II (right) at Bugas's Wyoming ranch
Born
Max Martin Fisher

(1908-07-15)July 15, 1908
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedMarch 3, 2005(2005-03-03) (aged 96)
Franklin, Michigan, U.S.
OccupationBusinessman
Spouses
  • Sylvia Krell (1934–1952)
  • Marjorie Switow (m. 1953)
Children5, including Mary
RelativesStephen M. Ross (nephew)
WebsiteArchives

Max Martin Fisher (July 15, 1908 – March 3, 2005) was an American businessman and philanthropist, and presidential advisor. Fisher founded Aurora Gasoline, an oil company that owned Speedway gas stations. After selling the company, he was chairman of United Brands and several other companies and invested in large-scale real estate projects.

A major fundraiser for Republican Party candidates, Fisher was an advisor on Middle East and Jewish issues to every administration from President Dwight D. Eisenhower to President George W. Bush.[1]

Fisher spent much of his life raising money for philanthropic endeavors. For more than forty years, he led civic organizations, organized business leaders, and helmed investment efforts in Detroit. Outside Michigan, he supported American Jewish and Israeli causes.

Life and career

[edit]

Fisher was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Russian Jewish immigrant parents and grew up in Salem, Ohio, where his father owned a clothing store. He attended Ohio State University on a football scholarship and graduated with a degree in business administration in 1930. While a student at OSU, he was initiated into the Alpha Epsilon chapter of the Phi Beta Delta fraternity, which is now part of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity.[2]

In 1930, Fisher joined his father's Keystone Oil Refining Company, a motor oil reclamation business, in Detroit as a $15-a-week salesman before forming his own company in 1932.[1][3] He grew the business, Aurora Gasoline, into one of the largest gas station chains in the Midwest before selling the business in 1959 to Marathon Petroleum for $40 million.[4] After retiring from management in 1963, he sat on the board of Comerica, the consumer and investment bank, Sotheby's, and United Brands.

Fisher reinvested his fortune in major real estate deals. 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.[4][dead link‍].

For decades, Fisher 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, he pioneered a new era in American Jewish activism and politics and was considered the elder statesman of North American Jewry. In 1975, he was asked to personally mend relations between the Gerald Ford administration and Israeli leadership. [1] Jimmy Carter invited him to watch the signing of the Camp David Accords in 1977.[3]

From the 1960s through the 1980s, Fisher was one of the most successful fundraisers for the Republican Party. He was a delegate from Michigan at the 1964, 1968, and 1976 Republican National Conventions, and an alternate in the 1988 Republican National Convention.[5]

Philanthropic activities

[edit]

Jewish organizations

[edit]

Fisher supported Jewish and general causes worldwide and played a major role in almost every major Jewish communal organization. Fisher served as national chairman of UJC's predecessor organizations, the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) from 1965 to 1967; president of the Council of Jewish Federations from 1969 to 1972; and chairman of the United Israel Appeal, Inc. (UIA) from 1968 to 1971; and president of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit from 1959 to 1964. He served as Honorary Chairman of United Jewish Communities (UJC), Council of Jewish Federations, and the American Jewish Committee.[1]

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.

Detroit

[edit]

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.[6]

Ohio State University

[edit]

He also donated around $20 million to finance 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.

Personal life and family

[edit]

Fisher was married twice:[7][8]

In 1934, he married Sylvia Krell who died in 1952. They had one child, Jane Fisher Sherman,[7][8] former chairman of the United Israel Appeal, Inc. (UIA) and former co-chair of the Jewish Agency for Israel Committee on Israel.[9]

In 1953, he married Marjorie Faith Switow. They had two children together: Julie Fisher Cummings[7][8] and Marjorie Fisher Aronow.[7][8] Switow also had two children from her prior husband, George Allen Frehling, whom Fisher adopted: Mary Fisher, AIDS activist[7][8] and Philip William Fisher, who founded the charity Mission Throttle[7][8][10]

Fisher has 15 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Fisher financed the schooling of his nephew Stephen M. Ross,[11] who called him, "the most important role model and inspiration for me in life".[12]

He died March 3, 2005, at about 11:30 am in his home in Franklin, Michigan, surrounded by family. He is interred at the Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham, Michigan.[5][13]

Wealth

[edit]

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

Legacy

[edit]

Fisher was the subject of articles, debates, TV documentaries, and an authorized biography, Quiet Diplomat by Peter Golden.[14]

Historical documents

[edit]

Max Fisher's papers are available for public research at the Walter P. Reuther Library in Detroit, Michigan. The library's website explains that, "This large collection documents Fisher's life and career as a successful Detroit industrialist and investor, influential Republican Party fundraiser and power broker, Jewish community leader, and major philanthropist. It includes correspondence, documents, speeches, interviews, photographs and other media, and documents from his biographer."[15]

B'nai B'rith Youth Organization (BBYO) Involvement

[edit]

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. Since Fisher's charter in 2006, the chapter has flourished at the chapter, regional, and international level. Four times has a member from Fisher AZA served as the President for all of Michigan Region BBYO; even though the chapter has only been around for 10 years, an International President has already hailed from Fisher. Fishermen always set the standard for how to behave in BBYO; in fact, they have won the Sportsmanship award at Michigan Region's Regional Convention many times since its founding. Each year several members represent Michigan Region by attending BBYO's International Convention in February, and by attending countless summer programs around the globe each summer, many of which focus on building leadership skills. Fisher has won several awards, including the Henry Monsky award which recognizes the most outstanding chapters across the International Order. On a more local level, each year several Fishermen apply for individual awards including the Bronze and Silver Stars of David (recognizing outstanding participation) and the Tree of Life Award (recognizes those individuals who bring more members into the order via recruiting). Additional awards are available for those who excel in community service as well. Recently, Fisher has received publicity for starting a Platform Database which hosts several hundred platforms of individuals' candidacy for office from around the world. The platforms range from the chapter level, to the regional and international levels as well.[16]

Telegraph Road

[edit]

On November 30, 2005, President George W. Bush signed the 2006 appropriations bill related to the US Department of Transportation and other agencies. Contained in that law was a provision that named a 30-mile (48 km) stretch of Telegraph Road (U.S. Route 24) from I-96 to its northern end at I-75 the "Max M. Fisher Memorial Highway";[17] the highway was dedicated in May 2008.[18]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Max Fisher, 96, Philanthropist and Adviser to Presidents, Dies", The New York Times, March 4, 2005.
  2. ^ Makio. Columbus: The Ohio State University. 1929. p. 211.
  3. ^ a b "Max Fisher: Giant of philanthropy". Jewish Historical Society of Michigan. West Bloomfield Township, Michigan. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Max Fisher: A lifetime of power and passion", Detroit News, March 4-2005.[dead link‍]
  5. ^ a b Kestenbaum, Lawrence (August 19, 2019). "Jewish Politicians in Pennsylvania (religion or ancestry)". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  6. ^ "The Max Rocks", Metro Times, December 3-2003. Archived November 13, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ a b c d e f New York Times: "Max Fisher, 96, Philanthropist and Adviser to Presidents, Dies" By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS March 4, 2005
  8. ^ a b c d e f Detroit Free Press: "Max Fisher, Detroit benefactor, dies at 96" BY BILL MCGRAW March 4, 2005
  9. ^ Crain's Detroit Business: "Carrying on Max's vision: Fishers continue legacy of giving" By Sherri Welch March 14, 2010
  10. ^ Detroit Jewish News: "Phillip Fisher's Mission Throttle is breaking new ground in the world of giving" May 31, 2012
  11. ^ Murray, Tom (June 4, 2015). "Family Ties: Stephen M. Ross parlayed two family loans into a multibillion-dollar enterprise". dbusiness. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  12. ^ "Ross' connections with Michigan". michiganross. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  13. ^ "Max Fisher: A lifetime of power and passion", Detroit News, March 4-2005. [dead link‍]
  14. ^ "Quiet Diplomat: A Biography of Max M. Fisher (Hardcover)", Amazon.com, June-1992.
  15. ^ Ergas, Aimee. "Collections Spotlight: Max M. Fisher Papers". Walter P. Reuther Library. Wayne State University. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  16. ^ "Changing teens lives every day". Changing teens lives every day. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  17. ^ United States Congress (November 30, 2005). Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Pub. L. 109–115 (text) (PDF).
  18. ^ Hopkins, Carol (May 5, 2008). "Max Fisher Honored with Sign Dedication". Oakland Press. Pontiac, MI. OCLC 15217724.
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