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Fred W. Lessing

Friedrich (Fred) William Lessing (1915-1990) - industrialist and philanthropist - was born in Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany on 15 February 1915, the son of Willy Heinrich Lessing and Paula Karolina Lessing.[1] His family was well-to-do and had been a pillar of Bamberg society for centuries. [2] In 1934, Fred moved to London and studied at the London School of Economics. [3] In 1942, almost penniless, he moved to the US to continue his studies at the New York University [4] He started work as a bookkeeper at the Stewart Stamping Company.[5]. By 1949, he was a partner in the firm and went on to become the President and Chief Executive of the electrical firm. He married Helen and together they had two daughters Joan (born 19/11/1945) and Pamela (born 15/01/1950).

Jewish Philanthropy

He is remembered for his deep engagement with the international Jewish community. He joined the board of both the Leo Baeck Institute and the Wiener Library in 1960. He was also associated with the Friends of Tel Aviv University, the American Association of Jews from Central Europe and the Jewish Philanthropic Fund of 1933. [6][7] Fred served as chairman of the Leo Baeck Institute and its treasurer for over 25 years and was also the chair of the Wiener Library for almost 20 years. [8]During the 1970s, Fred was responsible for the scheme that saved the Wiener Library from closure following the failure of UK fund-raising; he proposed that the important works be microfilmed before being shipped to Tel Aviv as part of a funding deal.[9] In 1980, he was awarded the Leo Baeck Medal [10]

At the end of his life, the Leo Baeck Institute wrote:

"If we were to call him only our benefactor that would be an understatement. It behaves us to record that in the whole history of our Institute there has been no one anywhere nearly so generous and so concerned. To him the recording of German-Jewish history and the preservation of it's chronicles and documentation became an all-absorbing interest. Moreover an Institute distributed over three continents needs at times a skilled diplomat and intermediary. He fitted this role perfectly with his great charm and tact; felled by an inveterate optimism, he believed that solutions could always be found."

[11]

Fred died of a heart attack on 6 May 1990 at his home in Scarsdale N.Y. aged 75. [12]

References

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  1. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/08/obituaries/fred-lessing-75-dies-led-a-metals-company.html
  2. ^ Fred Lessing by Hans Feld The Weiner Library Newsletter No 15 Summer 1990 p8
  3. ^ NYT obituary
  4. ^ NYT obituary
  5. ^ Guide to the Fred Lessing Collection http://findingaids.cjh.org/?pID=431103
  6. ^ NYT Obituary
  7. ^ Fred Lessing Collection
  8. ^ Association of Jewish Refugees Information Volume XLV No 10 p15 (October 1990) http://www.ajr.org.uk/journalpdf/1990_october.pdf
  9. ^ The Weiner Library Newsletter No 15 Summer 1990 Lead article: Fred Lessing 1915-1990 by Walter Laqueur
  10. ^ https://www.lbi.org/about/leo-baeck-medal/recipients-of-leo-baeck-medal/
  11. ^ Leo Baeck Institute Year Book 1991 (Vol XXXVI) Pub: Secker and Warburg ISBN 0436255502 pXXI
  12. ^ NYT Obituary
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Category:1915 births Category:1990 deaths Category:People from Bamberg Category:People from Scarsdale, New York Category:German emigrants to the United States Category:Businesspeople from New York (state) Category:German philanthropists

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