Robert Gavron, Baron Gavron

Robert Gavron
Baron Gavron of Highgate
Known for	Publishing
Years active	1964 – 2015
Born	(1930-09-13)13 September 1930
Died	7 February 2015(2015-02-07) (aged 84)
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	• Hannah (née Fyvel) (m.1955 – d. 1965) • Nicky (née Coates) (m. 1967 – div. 1987) • Kate (née Macnair) (m. 1989 – his death)
Issue	Simon Gavron Jeremy Gavron Sarah Gavron

Robert Gavron, Baron Gavron, CBE, FRSL (13 September 1930 – 7 February 2015) was a British printing millionaire, philanthropist and a Labour Life Peer.

Life and career

Gavron was the eldest son of Nathan, a patent lawyer, and Leah Gavron. He was brought up in Hampstead Garden Suburb and studied at Leighton Park School in Reading and then at St Peter's College, Oxford. Gavron became a barrister and was called to the bar by Middle Temple in 1955. The same year he married his first wife, Hannah Fyvel, who died in 1965.

Gavron founded the St Ives Group in 1964, serving as chairman from 1964 to 1993. He was the director of Octopus Publishing between 1975 and 1987 and Electra Management from 1981 to 1992. He was also the proprietor of the Carcanet Press from 1983 to 2015 and served as the chairman of the Folio Society, (1982-2015) and the National Gallery Co Ltd (1996-1998). He was both chairman of the Guardian Media Group and a trustee of the Scott Trust between 1997 and 2000.

Gavron was chairman of the Open College of the Arts (1991-1996), a director of the Royal Opera House (1992-1998), a trustee of the National Gallery (1994-2001), and of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation (1987-2005). He was a governor of the London School of Economics (1997-2002) and chaired his own charitable trust, the Robert Gavron Charitable Trust (1974-2015). He was in 1996 elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Politics

Gavron was active in the Labour Party and a financial contributor to the Labour Leader's Office Fund, run by Lord Levy, which financed Tony Blair's private office before the 1997 General Election. He was appointed a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1990 Birthday Honours, and received a life peerage as Baron Gavron, of Highgate in the Borough of Camden, on 6 August 1999. Gavron served on House of Lords, UK Parliament, Works of Art Committee from 1999 – 2003 and 2005 – 2009. Gavron was a member of the Groucho and the MCC.

Personal life

Gavron was married three times. In 1955 he married Hannah Fyvel, the daughter of T. R. Fyvel who was literary editor of Tribune and The Jewish Chronicle. They had two sons before she took her own life in 1965. One son, Jeremy, a novelist, has written a book about the tragedy. He recalled: "After her death, my father, the late Bob Gavron ... decided that it was better if we didn't talk about her."

In 1967 Gavron married Felicia Nicolette Coates. Before they divorced in 1987, the couple had two daughters including the film director Sarah Gavron.

In 1989 Gavron married Katherine Gardiner (née Macnair).

An MCC member, Gavron was a great supporter of cricket, especially in Barbados where he was an honorary life member of the Barbados Cricket Association. He established the Lord Gavron Scholarship for promising young cricketers in 2001. Recipients are presented with a trophy, a computer, cricket equipment and an attachment to a cricket club overseas or the opportunity to study at a local institution. Since 2010 two players, usually winners of the award, have spent a season with Sefton Park and Wavertree cricket clubs in England. Winners of the award who have gone on to play Test cricket for the West Indies include Kemar Roach, Kraigg Brathwaite, Jason Holder, Jomel Warrican, Shane Dowrich and Shai Hope.

Gavron died of a heart attack on 7 February 2015.

External links

• Biography
• Labour Party PLC: New Labour as a Party of Business – lengthy extract from David Osler's book about Labour fundraising and the Labour Leader's Office Fund
• Announcement of his introduction at the House of Lords, minutes of proceedings, 9 November 1999