Earle Irving Mack (born July 11, 1936) is an American businessman and former

United States Ambassador Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the United States' diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Under Article II, Section 2 of th ...

to Finland. Mack was a senior partner of The Mack Company, a real estate development, investment, and management firm, and was a founding board member of the merged Mack-Cali Realty Corporation in 1997. He is active in the arts, serving as chairman and CEO of the

New York State Council on the Arts The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) serves to foster and advance the arts, culture, and creativity throughout New York State, according to its website. The goal of the council is to allow all New Yorkers to benefit from the contribution ...

for three years, and has produced a number of theatrical productions and films. Mack has been involved in Thoroughbred horse breeding and racing since 1963 as an owner and advocate. His political involvement includes a 2016 attempt to draft

Paul Ryan Paul Davis Ryan (born January 29, 1970) is an American politician who served as the List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 54th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. A member of the ...

as the GOP presidential candidate.

Education

Mack was born to Jewish parents Ruth (née Kaufman) and H. Bert Mack.Orlando Sun Sentinel: "H. Bert Mack, Businessman, Philanthropist"
May 11, 1992Legacy: "RUTH MACK Obituary"
April 10, 2011 His father founded the real estate development company, the Mack Company. He has three brothers: William, Fredric, and

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

. Mack graduated from

Drexel University Drexel University is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony Joseph Drexel, Anthony J. Drexel, a financier ...

with a B.S. in 1959. He was a member of the

Sigma Alpha Mu Sigma Alpha Mu (), commonly known as Sammy, is a college fraternity founded at the City College of New York in 1909. Though initially founded as a Jewish organization, the fraternity dropped its religious affiliation and became open to men of a ...

fraternity at Drexel. He then went on to attend Fordham School of Law. In 1992 Mack was one of the first 100 alumni inducted into the newly formed Drexel 100 alumni association. He has been awarded several honorary degrees, including Doctor's of Law from Fordham School of Law, an honorary degree in Doctor of Humane Letters (D.H.L.) from

Daemen College Daemen University is a private university in Amherst and Brooklyn, New York, United States. Formerly Daemen College and Rosary Hill College, the now-nondenominational school was founded by the Sisters of St. Francis in 1947. As of fall 2020, ...

, an honorary degree in Doctor of Humane Letters from

Yeshiva University Yeshiva University is a Private university, private Modern Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox Jewish university with four campuses in New York City.

, Doctor of Business Administration, honoris causa from Drexel University in 2006, and recognized with an honorary degree for Doctor of Humane Letters fro
Franklin Pierce University
in 2016. From 1992 to 2004, Mack served as Chairman of the Board of the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, and was elected Chairman Emeritus in 2004. On May 1, 2008, the Drexel University College of Law was renamed the Earle Mack School of Law in light of his $15 million donation. In December 2013, a letter signed by Drexel University President John A. Fry and board of trustees Chairman Richard A. Greenawalt said Mack "graciously stepped aside as naming benefactor of Drexel’s law school." The school is now known as Drexel University

Thomas R. Kline School of Law The Thomas R. Kline School of Law (previously the "Earle Mack School of Law") is the law school of Drexel University, a private research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Established in 2006, it offers Juris ...

Military service

Mack served his mandatory military service in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

Infantry as a Second Lieutenant while on active duty (1959); and as a First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Infantry and Military Police, while serving on Reserve duty (1960–1968).

Ambassadorship

Mack served as

Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Finland. He was chosen by President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

, and was sworn in May 2004. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Finland until November 2005.

Business

Mack was senior partner of The Mack Company (1963–2004; 2006–Present). The Mack Company, established over a century ago, is a real estate development, investment, and management firm. The Mack Company merged their office portfolio with Cali Realty and the successor company became the Mack-Cali Realty Corporation in 1997. Mack was a founding board member of the merged Mack-Cali Realty Corporation (NYSE). The Mack Company, currently headquartered in

Fort Lee, New Jersey Fort Lee is a Borough (New Jersey), borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop The Palisades (Hudson River), The Palisades. As of the 2020 Uni ...

, invests, develops and manages income-producing property. Mack has also served on the Executive Committee of the National Realty Council. Among other business endeavors, he has written and published articles for the ABA Banking Journal and for the Mortgage and Real Estate Executives Report in the past.

Arts

Mack is the past chairman and CEO of the

(1996–1999). Upon retirement, Mack was elected Chairman Emeritus. Mack is the producer of '' The Children of Theatre Street'', a 90-minute feature documentary film nominated for an Academy Award by the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...

, (1977);

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

, (1977) and winner of the National Film Advisory Board's Award of Excellence, (1978). He also co-produced, with

Joseph Papp Joseph Papp (born Joseph Papirofsky; June 22, 1921 – October 31, 1991) was an American theatrical producer and director. Papp is a pioneering figure in American theater, known for creating Shakespeare in the Park, which aimed to make classi ...

and the New York Shakespeare Public Theater, the multi-media rock musical '' Stomp''. (1970). He was a member of the board of directors,

New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's fir ...

(1987–1996; 1999–2004) and past co-chairman of the board of directors, Dance Theater of Harlem. He was co-producer of the films, ''Hard Choices'' and ''She Dances Alone''. He has been a member of the board of trustees, American Friends of the Paris Opera and Ballet and had been a member of the executive committee of the National Association of the School of American Ballet.

Public service

Mack was recognized by Governor

George Pataki George Elmer Pataki (; born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who served as the 53rd governor of New York from 1995 to 2006. He previously served in the State Legislature from 1985 to 1994, and as the mayor of Peekskill from 1981 to 1984 ...

and received in 2000 the New York State Governors Arts Award for outstanding leadership in the arts. He was a Member of the Governor's Committee on Scholastic Achievement and was a Member of the Advisory Board, New York State Business Venture Partnership, and a past Board Member of the Appeal of Conscience. President

appointed him to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the

State of Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

in May 2008. In 2012 Mack spoke out against the possibility of capping charitable tax deductions, appearing on CNN's Situation Room with Lisa Sylvester Fox News with Stuart Varney, and the South Florida Business Report with David Weir. On February 14, 2013, Mack testified in front of the House Committee on Ways and Means Hearing on Tax Reform and Charitable Deductions in support of charitable deductions. In March 2016, Mack announced that he was acting as honorary chairman of the Super PAC known as The Committee to Draft Speaker Ryan, a group dedicated to drafting Paul Ryan as the Republican candidate for President of the United States in 2016. In an interview, Mack revealed that he would support the effort with up to $1 million. Paul Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong initially announced that the Speaker was "flattered, but not interested" in the draft effort. Ryan's organization issued a letter to the Federal Election Commission formally distancing Ryan from the Committee. They expressed concerns about confusion to donors and supporters, and reiterated that Ryan had no intention of running for president in 2016. The Committee ended its activities shortly thereafter, announcing that, "It’s become increasingly clear that the committee’s efforts, however well intended, could become an unwanted distraction to the speaker’s current responsibilities." Mack contributed a number of op-eds to The Hill in 2012 and 2016 relating to charitable donations and the 2016 presidential election. A series of four articles dealt primarily with Republican party politics leading up to the nomination of Donald Trump as the Republican candidate for president, and Mack's efforts to draft Paul Ryan as the party's candidate. Mack also addressed divisions in the Republican party and advocated for the confirmation of

Merrick Garland Merrick Brian Garland (born November 13, 1952) is an American lawyer and jurist who served as the 86th United States attorney general from 2021 to 2025. He previously served as a circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Dist ...

to the

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...

. Mack also acts as President and CEO of the Earle I. Mack Foundation, a non-profit organization that acted as the initial donor to the Earle Mack School of Law.

Thoroughbred horse racing

Mack has been involved with breeding and racing

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

horses since 1963. He was a member of the Board of Trustees,

New York Racing Association The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest thoroughbred horse racing tracks in the state of New York (state), New York, United States: Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Q ...

(1990–2004), Chairman of the New York State Racing Commission (1983–1989), Member of the New York State Thoroughbred Racing Capital Investment Fund (1987–1996) and a Member,

Board of Directors A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...

, of the New York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund Corp. (1983–1989). Mack is a contributor to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF). In 2011 Mack started the Earle Mack Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation Award. The award is presented to a recipient who made significant contributions towards improving the safety and welfare of Thoroughbred horses during and after their racing careers. The first winner of the award was Frank Stronach and in August 2012 Mack presented the award to Ogden Mills "Dinny" Phipps. In June 2013, Mack presented the award to Chef Bobby Flay for his actions on behalf of Thoroughbred retirement. Mack has owned and/or bred more than 25 Thoroughbred stakes winners, and currently owns about 75 Thoroughbred horses in the United States, England, France, Italy and Argentina. His most notable horses include: # Manighar (the first horse to ever complete the Group 1-treble of the Australian Cup, Ranvet Stakes, and BMW Cup) # Peteski ( Canadian Triple Crown Champion,

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honour those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness racing, harness and Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. It is located at Woodbine ...

, Sovereign Award winner, and Canadian Horse of the Year, 1993) # Bruce's Mill ( Sovereign Award winner, 1994) # Cryptocloser ( Sovereign Award winner, 1997) # Electrocutionist (Horse of the Year in Italy, 2005) # Mr. Light (Grade III winner, Gulfstream Park; set the world record for fastest mile ever run by a Thoroughbred in a competition, 2005) # November Snow (winner of the Grade I Test Stakes and Grade I Alabama Stakes at Saratoga, 1992, and international high-weighted 3 year old filly for that year) # Roxinho (Brazil's Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year, 2002) # Captain Canuck (Partnered with Centennial Farms Niagara Inc to race this 2010 Canadian Triple Crown Contender) # Dylan Mouth (triple Group 1 winner in Italy, including 2015 Premio Roma) Mack has successfully supported legislation for transparency in all horse sales in Florida. Headlining issues are medication, prohibition against dual agency, prohibition against enhancement medication usage, ownership transparency, and disclosure of medical records in the state of Florida. In August 2012, Mack was elected to the Board of Directors of the Jockey Club, an organization founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing. On June 28, 2011, Mack sold Star Plus, son of Alpha Plus, to George Iacovacci on the conditions that he could never be raced again and that Mack would be immediately notified if they no longer wished to take care of the horse so that a suitable retirement home could be found for him.Ray Paulic
"Saga of Star Plus: Doesn't This Horse Deserve Better?"
''Paulick Report'', February 1, 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2012. But shortly after the sale Mack learned that the new owner of Star Plus had put the horse back in training and started to enter him in races. After a public outcry, Mack was able to buy back Star Plus and retire him to

Old Friends Equine Old Friends is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) equine retirement facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, accredited by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA). The organization started with one leased paddock and two horses, but it now ...

, a horse retirement program in Nicholasville, Kentucky.

Personal life

In 1990, Mack married Carol Dickey; they have two children: Andrew and Beatrice. Mack describes himself as a "moderate Republican".

References

External links

*
Profile of Earle I. Mack
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mack, Earle I. Ambassadors of the United States to Finland American film producers American lawyers American racehorse owners and breeders New York Racing Association executives New York (state) Republicans Drexel University alumni Fordham University alumni Jewish American military personnel Living people 1936 births American businesspeople in real estate Mack family (real estate) 21st-century American Jews Owners of King's Plate winners