Gary Campbell Comer (December 10, 1927 – October 4, 2006) was the founder of

mail order Mail order is the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote methods such as: * Sending an order form in the mail * Placing an order by telephone call ...

clothing retailer Lands' End.Dennis Hevesi
"Gary C. Comer, 78, Founder of Lands’ End, Dies,"
''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', October 6, 2006.

Early life

Born on the South Side of Chicago in the Grand Crossing neighborhood, Comer graduated from the Paul Revere Elementary School in 1942 and Hyde Park High School in 1946. From 1950 to 1960, he worked as a

copywriter Copywriting is the act or occupation of writing text for the purpose of advertising or other forms of marketing. Copywriting is aimed at selling products or services. The product, called copy or sales copy, is written content that aims to incre ...

Young & Rubicam VMLY&R was an American marketing and Marketing communications, communications company specializing in advertising, Digital media, digital and social media, sales promotion, direct marketing and brand identity consulting, formed from the 2020 mer ...

in Chicago. After quitting, he traveled around Europe for a year, and then, having been an avid sailor from childhood, he began his own business supplying sailing equipment.Rick Kogan
"Gary Comer: 1927 - 2006,"
''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'', October 5, 2006.

Lands' End

In the Spring of 1963, Comer founded Lands' End, along with his close friend Robert Halperin, Richard Stearns, and two of Stearns' employees. They started it originally as a retailer of sailing supplies and equipment (based on a mail order equipment business begun a year earlier). Comer was president until 1990, including following Lands' End's registration as a public company, when he stepped down from active management. He remained a major shareholder until Lands' End was acquired by

Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears ( ), is an American chain of department stores and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosen ...

in 2002.

Philanthropy

Comer was a long-time

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

, donating money to causes including children's health care, education and the study of global climate change. He opened the Gary Comer Youth Center which serves as the anchor institution to Gary Comer Middle School and Gary Comer College Prep, a campus of the Noble Network of Charter Schools. In 2011, the Gary Comer Youth Center and Gary Comer College Prep won the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence silver medal. Comer was a major contributor to the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

, providing more than $84 million in donations leading to the establishment and expansion of the Comer Children's Hospital at the University of Chicago. He also donated to

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

in support of geochemistry research at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. The Gary C. Comer Geochemistry Building at the Lamont Observatory is named in his honor.

Death

Comer succumbed to

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...

on October 4, 2006, at his home in Chicago surrounded by his family.

References

External links

University of Chicago News Office Article
{{DEFAULTSORT:Comer, Gary 1927 births 2006 deaths Businesspeople from Chicago American retail chief executives Deaths from prostate cancer in Illinois University of Chicago people American male sailors (sport) Star class sailors 20th-century American businesspeople American philanthropists 20th-century American sportsmen