George T. Delacorte Jr.

George T. Delacorte Jr.
Born
George Tonkonogy

20 June 1894
New York City, New York, U.S.
Died4 May 1991(1991-05-04) (aged 96)
Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materColumbia University
OccupationMagazine publisher

George T. Delacorte Jr. (20 June 1894 – 4 May 1991) was an American magazine publisher, born in New York City.

He founded the Dell Publishing in 1921. His goal was to entertain readers who were not satisfied with the genteel publications available at the time. The company was one of the largest publishers of books, magazines, and comics during its heyday. His most successful innovation was the puzzle magazine.

Delacorte Clock located in the Central Park Zoo.

Biography

Delacorte, born George Tonkonogy,[1] was the son of George Tonkonogy, Sr. and Sadie König, both Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe.[2] He grew up in Brooklyn with his siblings; Abraham, Mamie, Henrietta, Archibald, Elizabeth, Eugene, and Gertrude.[3][4][5]

An alumnus of Columbia University (1913), Delacorte donated money to the university which established the Delacorte Professorship in the Humanities and helped found the George T. Delacorte Center for Magazine Journalism and the creation of the Delacorte Professorship in Magazine Journalism in 1984. The university recognized him with an honorary doctorate in 1982.

In 1962, he donated money to establish the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, New York City. He also donated money for the Delacorte Clock in the park, an Alice in Wonderland sculpture to the north of Conservatory Water with among others the Mad Hatter (whose face is supposedly modeled on that of Delacorte) in honor of his wife,[6][7][8][9] and sculptures of The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet.[10] He donated several fountains to the city, including ones located at the southern end of City Hall Park, Columbus Circle, Roosevelt Island, and Bowling Green.[11] Among his contributions, he considered the Delacorte Fountain on Roosevelt Island to be his personal favorite.[12]

He died in Manhattan in 1991 at the age of 96, survived by his second wife Valerie Delacorte (whose second husband was the Hungarian producer Gabriel Pascal), two sons, three daughters, 18 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. His siblings included Gertrude Friedberg[13] and Eugene Tonkonogy.[14]

He is memorialized by several funds in The New York Community Trust, which offers a biographical brochure.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ New York City Department of Records & Information Services; New York City, New York; New York City Birth Certificates; Borough: Brooklyn; Year: 1893 Ancestry.com
  2. ^ National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, DC; NAI Title: Index to Petitions for Naturalizations Filed in Federal, State, and Local Courts in New York City, 1792-1906; NAI Number: 5700802; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: RG 21
  3. ^ New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1905; Election District: A.D. 21 E.D. 12; City: Brooklyn; County: Kings; Page: 8
  4. ^ Year: 1910; Census Place: Brooklyn Ward 26, Kings, New York; Roll: T624_976; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 0735; FHL microfilm: 1374989
  5. ^ Year: 1900; Census Place: Brooklyn Ward 26, Kings, New York; Roll: 1064; Page: 14; Enumeration District: 0453; FHL microfilm: 1241064
  6. ^ Meier, Allison (February 15, 2016). "The Unsung Female Muses of New York's Public Sculpture". Hyperallergic.
  7. ^ "Alice in Wonderland Statue in Central Park". Atlas Obscura.
  8. ^ Howard Halle (March 20, 2020). "10 great outdoor sculptures in NYC you can visit on a socially-distanced stroll". Time Out New York.
  9. ^ Carroll, Raymond (May 20, 2008). The Complete Illustrated Map and Guidebook to Central Park. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. ISBN 978-1-4027-5833-1 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ "George T. Delacorte". The New York Community Trust. April 29, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  11. ^ "Philanthropist Showers City". New York. May 21, 1979. p. 7. Retrieved January 9, 2025 – via Google Books.
  12. ^ Berger, Marilyn (May 5, 1991). "G. T. Delacorte, Philanthropist, 97, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
  13. ^ "Gertrude T. Friedberg, Playwright, 81". The New York Times. 20 September 1989. Archived from the original on 30 January 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  14. ^ Douglas, Martin (January 15, 2001). "Eugene Tonkonogy, Investor And Adventurer, Dies at 95". The New York Times. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  15. ^ George T Delacorte New York Community Trust