Jay Pritzker
Cofounder of Hyatt Hotels Corp From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jay Arthur Pritzker (August 26, 1922 – January 23, 1999) was an American businessman and member of the Pritzker family. He was a founder of the Hyatt Corporation, having purchased the first Hyatt Hotel in 1957, and was responsible for the corporation's evolution into a multinational hospitality conglomerate.
Jay Pritzker | |
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| Born | Jay Arthur Pritzker August 26, 1922 |
| Died | January 23, 1999 (aged 76) |
| Education | University of Chicago Northwestern University (BS, JD) |
| Known for | Co-founder of Hyatt Corporation |
| Spouse | Cindy Friend |
| Children | 5, including Thomas, John, Daniel, Gigi |
| Parent | Abram Nicholas Pritzker (father) |
| Relatives | See Pritzker family |
Early life and education
Pritzker was born in Chicago, Illinois to Jewish parents. Pritzker's grandparents emigrated to the United States in 1881.[1] A son of Fanny (née Doppelt) and Abram Nicholas Pritzker, he had two brothers: Donald and Robert Pritzker.[2] At the age of 14, Pritzker was admitted to the University of Chicago.[3] He then went on to graduate with a B.S. from Northwestern University in 1941 and a J.D. from the Northwestern University School of Law in 1947.[2][4][5] Pritzker served in WWII as a naval aviator.[6]
Career
Pritzker diversified the Chicago-based family business—which then consisted of the Pritzker & Pritzker law firm run by his uncle, Harry, and the investments made by his father and his uncle, Jack — into the Marmon Group holding company.[citation needed] With his brother, Robert, he built a portfolio of 60 diversified industrial corporations. He created the Hyatt Hotel chain in 1957 with his brother Donald Pritzker and owned Braniff Airlines from 1983–1988.[citation needed]
In 1979 he established the Pritzker Architecture Prize. In 1982, he acquired Ticketmaster and expanded it before selling 80% for more than $325 million to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 1993.[7][8][9]
In 1979, Pritzker received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.[10]
In 1996, he and his wife, Cindy, received the National Building Museum's Honor Award.[11] In 2004, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, designed by architect Frank Gehry, was completed as part of Millennium Park in downtown Chicago.[citation needed]
Personal life
Summarize
Perspective
Pritzker was married to Marian "Cindy" Friend, the daughter of Illinois appellate judge Hugo Friend,[12][13] for 51 years.[14][15] They had five children:[16]
- Nancy Pritzker (1948-1972), died by suicide at age 24. The University of Chicago medical school is named for her.[17]
- Thomas Pritzker (born 1950), served as chairman of Hyatt Foundation, chairman of Marmon Holdings, and as a director of Royal Caribbean, and the Pritzker Foundation.[16]
- John Pritzker (born 1953), runs his own private equity firm Geolo Capital, which focuses on investments in hospitality, entertainment and health and wellness companies. In 2010, he purchased a majority interest in the Joie de Vivre hotel chain and later merging it with the Pomeranc family's Thompson Hotel Group.[16]
- Daniel Pritzker (born 1959), musician and filmmaker who served as a trustee of the Jay Pritzker Foundation along with his wife, Karen. He also founded the Jay Pritzker Academy in Ta Chet, Cambodia; and is a prominent supporter of Providence St. Mel School in Chicago and Tufts University. He is the owner of Jerry Garcia's famed guitar "Wolf", which he purchased at auction for $789,500.
- Jean "Gigi" Pritzker (born 1962), film and play producer and is CEO of Odd Lot Entertainment.[16]
See also
References
External links
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