Henry Melville Margolis (November 2, 1909 – November 2, 1989) was a

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

industrialist, lawyer, theatrical producer, and philanthropist. Margolis was born on New York's Lower East Side. He worked his way through City College of New York and

New York University Law School New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it is the oldest law school in New York City and the oldest surviving law school in New ...

, and was admitted to New York Bar. Margolis invested in hotels and property in New York City and

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. He married Nexhmie Zaimi in the 1940s. They had one son, Eric Margolis. He remarried in the 1950s to Irene Broza. Margolis was part owner of a New York French restaurant, Cafe Chambord. He was also a Broadway theatrical producer, sometimes with actor

Martin Gabel Martin Gabel (June 19, 1911 – May 22, 1986) was an American actor, film director and film producer. Life and career Gabel was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Rebecca and Isaac Gabel, a jeweler, both Jewish immigrants. He married Arlen ...

: ''The Hidden River'', '' Once More With Feeling'', ''

Tiger at the Gates ''The Trojan War Will Not Take Place'' (french: La guerre de Troie n'aura pas lieu) is a play written in 1935 by French dramatist Jean Giraudoux. In 1955 it was translated into English by Christopher Fry with the title ''Tiger at the Gates''. The ...

'' and ''The Reclining Figure''. With

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

, he produced and staged ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane ...

'' in New York and ''

Moby Dick—Rehearsed ''Moby Dick'' (sometimes referred to as ''Moby Dick—Rehearsed'') is a two-act drama by Orson Welles. The play was staged June 16–July 9, 1955, at the Duke of York's Theatre in London, in a production directed by Welles. The original cast inc ...

'' in London and New York. Margolis was chairman of the

Elgin National Watch Company The Elgin National Watch Company, commonly known as Elgin Watch Company, was a major US watch maker from 1864 to 1968. The company sold watches under the names Elgin, Lord Elgin, and Lady Elgin. For nearly 100 years, the company's manufacturing ...

. Later, he was chairman of Aero-Flow Dynamics Corp, and Jamieson Laboratories of Canada. His son, Eric, inherited Jamieson Laboratories and operated it until selling it in 2014. Margolis was founding director of New York's

International Center of Photography The International Center of Photography (ICP), at 79 Essex Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City, consists of a museum for photography and visual culture and a school offering an array of educational courses and programming. ...

and California's Pritikin Foundation. He died on his 80th birthday in black tie at

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

, November 2, 1989.

References

1909 births 1989 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American Jews American theatre managers and producers {{US-business-bio-1900s-stub