Jerome A. Chazen (March 21, 1927 – February 6, 2022) was an American businessman who was the founder and chairman of Chazen Capital Partners. He was also one of four and last surviving founders of

Liz Claiborne Anne Elisabeth Jane Claiborne (March 31, 1929 – June 26, 2007) was an American fashion designer and businesswoman. Her success was built upon stylish yet affordable apparel for career women featuring colorfully tailored separates that cou ...

Early life and career

Chazen was born to a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family, in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

where his mother Rose was a seamstress, and his father David worked in commercial heating. and received a bachelor's degree in economics in 1948 from the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

where he was a member of

Zeta Beta Tau Zeta Beta Tau () is a Greek-letter social fraternity based in North America. It was founded in 1898 at City College of New York. Originally a Zionist youth society, its purpose changed in 1954 when the fraternity became non-sectarian and open to n ...

fraternity and an MBA from

Columbia Business School Columbia Business School (CBS) is the business school of Columbia University, a Private university, private research university in New York City. Established in 1916, Columbia Business School is one of six Ivy League business schools and one of ...

in 1950. He served in the Navy from 1945–46 and it was at UW-Madison where Chazen met his future wife, Simona, and Liz Claiborne co-founder Art Ortenberg. Chazen's first job was as an analyst on Wall Street at Sutro Brothers before he transitioned to a career in fashion beginning with Rhea Midwest, an apparel manufacturer. In 1968, Chazen left his job at Winkelman's, where he was hired as a merchandising manager in 1960, for a job in fashion on the east coast. In 1976, he co founded

Liz Claiborne Inc Liz is a female name of Hebrew origin, meaning "God's Promise". It is also a short form of Elizabeth, Elisabeth, Lisbeth, Lizanne, Liszbeth, Lizbeth, Lizabeth, Lyzbeth, Lisa, Lizette, Alyssa, and Eliza. People * Liz Allan (cricketer) (born 194 ...

with

, her husband Art Ortenberg, and Leonard Boxer. Chazen was initially in charge of direct marketing operations. When Liz Claiborne retired from the company in 1989, Chazen was named Chairman of the company and also served as CEO. He was named chair emeritus upon his retirement in 1996. Chazen saw the company through a time that significantly changed what women wore to work. Chazen wrote and published ''My Life at Liz Claiborne'' in 2012.

Philanthropy

In 1991, Chazen donated $10 million to found The Chazen Institute of International Business at Columbia Business School and the Chazen Museum, formerly the Elvehjem Museum of Art, at the

University of Wisconsin-Madison A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

to which he and his wife also made donations of works of art. Chazen served on the boards of the

Newport Jazz The Newport Jazz Festival is an annual American multi-day jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, rag ...

and

Louis Armstrong House The Louis Armstrong House is a historic house museum at 3456 107th Street in the Corona neighborhood of Queens in New York City. and It was the home of Louis Armstrong and his wife Lucille Wilson from 1943 until his death in 1971. Luci ...

and was chair emeritus at the

Museum of Arts and Design The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), based in Manhattan, New York City, collects, displays, and interprets objects that document contemporary and historic innovation in craft, art, and design. In its exhibitions and educational programs, the ...

Personal life and death

He was married to Simona Chivian whom he met at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. They had three children, seven grandchildren and one great-grandson. He died at his home in Upper Nyack on February 6, 2022, aged 94.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chazen, Jerome 1927 births 2022 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American philanthropists 21st-century American businesspeople 21st-century American Jews American company founders American businesspeople in fashion Businesspeople from New York City Columbia Business School alumni Military personnel from New York City University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni United States Navy personnel of World War II