John Louis Tishman (January 24, 1926 – February 6, 2016) was an American

real-estate developer Real estate development, or property development, is a business process, encompassing activities that range from the renovation and re-lease of existing buildings to the purchase of raw land and the sale of developed land or parcels to other ...

, and chief executive officer of

Tishman Realty & Construction THR Management LP, commonly referred to as Tishman, is an American corporation founded in 1898 that owns and develops real estate. The company is best known for being the contractor that built the original World Trade Center in New York City. T ...

Life

John Louis Tishman was born to

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 ...

parents, Rose and Louis Tishman, on January 24, 1926, 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 ...

. His father worked in the family construction business founded by his grandfather Julius Tishman and died when he was 4. In 1946, he graduated from

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, where he studied electrical engineering. After school, he served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

and then taught mathematics before joining the family construction business,

, then run by his uncle David Tishman (father of

Robert Tishman Robert Valentine Tishman (April 7, 1916 – October 11, 2010) was an American real estate developer who was head of the family-owned firm Tishman Realty & Construction until it was disestablished in 1977, and was one of the two founding partners ...

, the co-founder of

Tishman Speyer Properties Tishman Speyer is an American multinational corporation based at 45 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan. The conglomerate invests in high-profile real estate properties, has developed multiple buildings around the world, and has owned famou ...

). The firm acted as both a developer and general contractor until 1980, when it became solely a construction firm. He was manager during the construction of

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

, the

John Hancock Center 875 North Michigan Avenue (officially known until 2018 as the John Hancock Center and still commonly referred to under that name) is a 100- story, supertall skyscraper located in Chicago, Illinois. Located in the Magnificent Mile district, the ...

, and the first

World Trade Center World Trade Centers are the hundreds of sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may also refer to: Buildings * World Trade Center (1973–2001), a building complex that was destroyed during the September 11 at ...

Philanthropy

He established the Tishman Construction Management Program, at University of Michigan, with a $5 million gift. He supported the New School, with a $1 million gift.

Personal life

In 1953, he married Suzanne Weisberg (died 2005); they had two children, Daniel Russell Tishman and Katherine Tishman Blacklock. His son Dan is chairman and CEO of the family company renamed the Tishman Construction Corporation.

Death

Tishman died on February 6, 2016, at his home in Bedford, New York.

References

External links

Profile at Bloomberg.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tishman, John L. 1926 births 2016 deaths American businesspeople in real estate 20th-century American Jews Businesspeople from New York City University of Michigan College of Engineering alumni Tishman family 21st-century American Jews