Joseph Bernard Gildenhorn

Joseph Bernard Gildenhorn
Gildenhorn, c. 1989
United States Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein
In office
August 3, 1989 – March 1, 1993
PresidentGeorge H.W. Bush
Preceded byPhilip D. Winn
Succeeded byM. Larry Lawrence
Personal details
Born
Joseph Bernard Gildenhorn

(1929-09-17)September 17, 1929
Washington, D.C., U.S.
DiedOctober 21, 2023(2023-10-21) (aged 94)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Maryland (BS)
Yale University (LLB, JD)
OccupationBusinessman, attorney, philanthropist

Joseph Bernard Gildenhorn (/ˈɡɪldənˌhɔːrn/; September 17, 1929 – October 21, 2023) was the U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland from 1989 to 1993 and was a co-founder of JBG Smith.[1]

Biography

Early life and education

Gildenhorn was born September 17, 1929 in Washington, D.C., to Oscar, a retail grocer, and Celia Gildenhorn. Both of his parents were born in the Russian Empire (presently Poland) and immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century.

Gildenhorn graduated from Jackson-Reed High School (then called Woodrow Wilson High School). He then received a B.S. degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland.[2] He graduated from Yale Law School in 1954 where he was a member of the Editorial Board of the Yale Law Journal and Order of the Coif.

Career

After law school, Gildenhorn served in the United States Army and was stationed in Germany. Upon returning to Washington, he worked for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.[3]

In 1956, Gildenhorn and high school friends Donald Brown and Gerald Miller founded a law firm. In 1962, they became real estate developers in the Washington, D.C. area forming what later became JBG Smith.[4]

Gildenhorn was a long-time supporter of the Republican Party and George H. W. Bush.[5] Gildenhorn was the U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland from 1989 to 1993, appointed by George H. W. Bush.[3]

Gildenhorn served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars from 2002 to 2013, appointed by George W. Bush.[6][3]

Gildenhorn was President of the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington. He also served on the board of directors of the Joint Distribution Committee.[3]

Personal life

Gildenhorn was married to Alma Lee Gross, whom he met while a student at the University of Maryland. They had two children: Carol Winer and Michael Gildenhorn.[3]

Gildenhorn was a financial supporter of John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts[7] and the Institute for Bone and Joint Health of Sibley Memorial Hospital.[8] He also endowed the University of Maryland’s Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies and the Gildenhorn Recital Hall at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.[3]

Gildenhorn died in Washington D.C. on October 21, 2023, at the age of 94.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Nomination of Joseph B. Gildenhorn To Be United States Ambassador to Switzerland". The American Presidency Project.
  2. ^ "The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR JOSEPH B. GILDENHORN" (PDF). Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. 13 May 1993. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 July 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "The Honorable Joseph B. Gildenhorn". Washington Jewish Week. October 25, 2023.
  4. ^ Arcieri, Katie (November 29, 2018). "How three men and a drive to make money turned into JBG". American City Business Journals.
  5. ^ "A Distinguished U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland—Joseph B. Gildenhorn". Brigham Young University.
  6. ^ "In Memoriam Ambassador Joseph B. Gildenhorn". Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. October 23, 2023.
  7. ^ "Meet Our Donors". John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
  8. ^ "GENEROUS SUPPORT FOR GILDENHORN INSTITUTE FOR BONE AND JOINT HEALTH" (PDF). Johns Hopkins Hospital. Spring 2019.
  9. ^ "The Honorable Joseph B. Gildenhorn". Legacy.com.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Switzerland
1989–1993 		Succeeded by