Jack Borgenicht
Jack Borgenicht | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 29, 1911 |
| Died | August 25, 2005 (aged 93) |
| Organization(s) | Jack Borgenicht, Inc. |
| Spouses | Peri Borgenicht
(m. 1954; div. 1964)
Fran Bennett Borgenicht
(m. 1995) |
| Children | 10, including Ruth Borgenicht |
Jacob 'Jack' Moses Borgenicht (August 29, 1911 – August 25, 2005)[1] was an American entrepreneur, land use preservation activist, garment manufacturer, millionaire, restaurant owner, philanthropist and mountaineer. He was the oldest person to climb Mount Rainier at the age of 81.
Biography
[edit]He was born Jacob Moses Borgenicht to a Jewish family in Manhattan, New York. He was the youngest of 14 siblings born to prominent garment manufacturers Regina (née Reich) and Louis Borgenicht, both from Austria-Hungary, Regina being from Presov, Transleithania and Louis from Zakliczyn, Galicia.[2][3][4] He grew up in Hunter, New York, and spent two years attending New York University.
Career
[edit]He dropped out of college during the Great Depression to help the family clothing manufacturing company Borgenicht and Spiro. He formed his own company, Jack Borgenicht Inc., in 1944.[5][6]
Mountain climbing
[edit]Starting at the age of 78, Borgenicht and his climbing partner, College of William and Mary kinesiology professor Ken Kambis, climbed Mount Elbert and on August 30, 1992, he became the oldest person to climb Mount Rainier at age 81,[7] with additional plans to climb Mount Kiliminjaro and Mount Everest.[5]
Marriage and children
[edit]Borgenicht was married four times; once to Grace Borgenicht Brandt (m. 1938) art gallery owner, and then three others. On March 26, 1954, he married Peri Gilbert Borgenicht Winkler, stockbroker, literary agent; they divorced in 1964.[8] He then married Dale Borgenicht Blum, award and antique shop owner. His fourth wife was Fran Bennett Borgenicht (m. 1995) Broadway producer.[9][5] He had twelve children including ceramic artist Ruth Borgenicht and painter Lois Borgenicht.
Legacy
[edit]On his death, he arranged to make multi-million dollar charitable donations to the College of William and Mary to fund the Foundation for Aging Studies and Exercise Science Research and a Hypoxia/Altitude Physiology Research Facility[10][11]
Five years after his death, the New Jersey Conservation Foundation and its partners, including the Morris County Open Space Trust Fund, bought his 228-acre estate in Long Valley, New Jersey for $2.8 million for open space preservation.[12][13]
Philosophical and/or political views
[edit]Borgenicht has stated that The Anatomy of Peace by Emery Reves expresses his philosophy best. Winston Churchill and Yasser Arafat were his role models.[5]
Further reading
[edit]- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (Chapter 5)
- Borgenicht, Louis. (1942). The Happiest Man: The Life of Louis Borgenicht, as told to Harold Friedman. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.[14]
- Louis Borgenicht: How to Do Meaningful Work that Matters by Dean Yeong
References
[edit]- ^ "Paid Notice: Deaths BORGENICHT, JACOB MOSES JACK". The New York Times. August 27, 2005. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 3, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- ^ Gladwell, Malcolm (2008). Outliers: The Story of Success. New York - Boston - London: Little, Brown and Company. pp. Chapter 5. ISBN 978-0316017923.
- ^ "Louis Borgenicht: How to Do Meaningful Work that Matters". Dean Yeong. Archived from the original on January 31, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- ^ Friedman, Harold (1942). The Happiest Man: The Life of Louis Borgenicht. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
- ^ a b c d Freehling, Alison (January 1, 1996). "High Profile: Jack Borgenicht". Daily Press (Virginia). Archived from the original on June 1, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- ^ "Jack Borgenicht - Company Profile and News - Bloomberg Markets". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- ^ "81-Year-Old Man Scales Mt. Rainier". Los Angeles Times. October 25, 1992. Archived from the original on September 3, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- ^ Albelli, Alfred (May 22, 1964). "He's Caught in Bed, Alone, Divorced". The New York Daily News.
- ^ Stradling, Richard (February 8, 1995). "Man Gives $1 Million to W&M". Daily Press (Virginia) .
- ^ "TFASESR Jack Borgenicht Biography". The Foundation for Aging Studies and Exercise Science Research. Archived from the original on September 3, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- ^ "Jack Borgenicht Hypoxia/Altitude Physiology Research Facility | William & Mary". www.wm.edu. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- ^ Goldberg, Dan (December 8, 2010). "N.J. to purchase, preserve millionaire's Long Valley land as open space". nj.com. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- ^ "Morris Helps Preserve 228 Wooded Acres in Long Valley". Morris County, NJ. December 7, 2010. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- ^ "The Happiest Man". desolatte. June 4, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2019.