Arthur S. Obermayer
Arthur S. Obermayer | |
---|---|
Born | July 17, 1931 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US |
Died | January 10, 2016 (aged 84) |
Alma mater | Swarthmore College Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Occupation(s) | Businessman, philanthropist |
Spouse | Judith Obermayer |
Children | 3 |
Arthur S. Obermayer (July 17, 1931 – January 10, 2016) was an American entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was the founder and president of the Moleculon Research Corporation. He was a co-founder of Partners for Progressive Israel and the Obermayer German Jewish History Awards.
Early life
Arthur S. Obermayer was born in Philadelphia.[1][2][3] His "four grandparents were all German."[4] His family came from Creglingen.[2][3][5]
Obermayer graduated from Swarthmore College.[6] He received a PhD in Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).[6]
Business career
Obermayer was an entrepreneur.[1] He was the founder and president of the Moleculon Research Corporation, "a chemical, polymer and pharmaceutical research and development company."[6] He was a co-founder of Zero Stage Capital.[6] Meanwhile, he took Moleculon, Inc. public in 1981 and sold it to an Australian corporation in 1984.[6]
He and his wife, Judy, were inducted into the United States Small Business Administration Hall of Fame in June 2015.[1][7]
Philanthropy
Obermayer co-founded Meretz USA, later known as Partners for Progressive Israel.[2][3]
Obermayer co-founded the Obermayer German Jewish History Awards with JewishGen and the Leo Baeck Institute in 2000.[1] He was a recipient of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2007.[1]
Personal life and death
Obermayer had a wife, Judith, and three children.[1] He died of cancer on January 10, 2016 in Dedham, Massachusetts.[1][3] He was the brother of Herman Obermayer.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "U.S. Philanthropist Arthur Obermayer Dies at 84". Haaretz. January 12, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
- ^ a b c "US philanthropist who preserved German-Jewish history dies at 84". The Times of Israel. January 12, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Arthur Obermayer, Progressive Boston Philanthropist, Dies at 84". Forward. January 11, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
- ^ "Germans Recognized for Work Remembering Jews". Haaretz. January 27, 2004. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
- ^ "Arthur Obermayer, US philanthropist who preserved German-Jewish history, dies at 84". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. January 11, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e "ARTHUR OBERMAYER". Legatum Center for Technology and Development. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
- ^ "SBIR Hall of Fame & Tibbetts Awardees to be honored for Contributions to the Economy during White House Ceremony". United States Small Business Administration. June 15, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
- 1931 births
- 2016 deaths
- American people of German-Jewish descent
- Businesspeople from Philadelphia
- Businesspeople from Dedham, Massachusetts
- Swarthmore College alumni
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni
- American company founders
- American business executives
- Jewish American philanthropists
- Deaths from cancer in Massachusetts
- Philanthropists from Dedham, Massachusetts
- Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany