Generous U-M supporter A. Alfred Taubman dies at 91

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A. Alfred Taubman, one of America’s leading entrepreneurs and philanthropists — and one of the University of Michigan’s most generous donors — died Friday of a heart attack. He was 91.

Taubman, a retail visionary who pioneered the concept of the modern shopping mall, made his mark as a transformative philanthropist at U-M, where he studied architecture before and after his service in World War II. The university’s College of Architecture and Urban Planning bears his name.

“The University of Michigan family was saddened to learn of the passing of A. Alfred Taubman,” President Mark Schlissel said in a statement. “We have lost a dear friend and educational partner, one of the genuine leaders and best. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, loved ones, and all those he has touched with his considerable generosity and commitment to a better University of Michigan.”

The family released a statement that said Taubman suffered a heart attack following dinner Friday and died that night in his Bloomfield Hills home. Taubman’s son, Robert S. Taubman, said, “One thing that will never be taken from us is Alfred Taubman’s vision that will continue to guide and inspire us.”

Just two days before his death, Taubman was on the U-M campus to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for an addition to the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, where me met with Schlissel and Taubman College Dean Monica Ponce de Leon.

A. Alfred Taubman (center) was on hand Wednesday for the groundbreaking of the A. Alfred Taubman Wing of the Art and Architecture Building. With him are Monica Ponce de Leon, dean of the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, and President Mark Schlissel. (Photo by Peter Smith Photography)

In his statement, Schlissel said the university, and the opportunities U-M provides to its students, would not be the same without Taubman’s support.

“He valued state-of-the-art facilities for teaching, research and patient care, and he was always mindful of supporting the activities that take place inside the university and the buildings that bear his name. He provided scholarships to our students, enhanced the way we teach architecture and urban planning, and gave our faculty the opportunity to launch unparalleled medical research initiatives.

“Mr. Taubman’s legacy at the University of Michigan will forever reflect his generosity, impact and passion for advancing opportunities for our campus, its students and the health and well-being of all members of society. His strong support of the University of Michigan during his life will be further augmented by the provisions he made in his will for the university’s future.”

Schlissel called Taubman “a great man” who was successful, generous and warm. Taubman has contributed more than $150 million to many areas of the university over many years.

“He also was someone who held all those around him to high standards. He helped drive excellence at Michigan not just through his philanthropy, but by the advice he gave to multiple presidents and the fact that he held us to account to get the very most out of everything we did. Our entire community will deeply miss Mr. Taubman and his commitment to our campus and students.”

Gov. Rick Snyder, a U-M alumnus, said Taubman’s greatest legacy “will be how he used his fortune to help people in Michigan and beyond.

“He was a leading donor to the Detroit Institute of Arts and to our universities. Buildings bear his name at Lawrence Technological University and the University of Michigan, where the Taubman Medical Research Institute has been a leader in work to fight diseases such as Lou Gehrig’s disease. His generosity extended beyond Michigan, with important donations to Harvard and Brown universities and work with the Smithsonian Institution. He will be long remembered not just for his retail genius, but for the lives he touched through his kindness.”

A. Alfred Taubman and his wife, Judy, are cheered as they enter an April 2011 celebration after the Board of Regents named the A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Science Research Building in his honor.(Photo by Scott C. Soderberg, Michigan Photography)

In 2011, Taubman shared a story about how he learned the importance of philanthropy early in life: “When my father went out to raise funds for good causes, he used to say, ‘If I make a donation, I have given once. If I then solicit monies, I gave twice. And if my contribution has inspired others to support a good cause, I will have given three times.'”

Taubman has demonstrated his commitment to those ideas with a long history of major gifts to U-M — gifts of not only money, but also of time, energy, expertise and leadership by example. That commitment was perhaps most evident in his contributions to the U-M Health System.

In the early 1980s, he became a major proponent of the Replacement Hospital Project and served on the building committee. His business savvy saved the university millions of dollars when he urged the administration to buy steel while prices were down. His support of innovative medical science at U-M funded efforts to find better treatments and cures for a wide variety of human diseases. The A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Science Research Building was named in recognition of his transformative 2011 gift to the Taubman Medical Research Institute.

That generosity also included, at the time, the largest gift in history to any school of architecture in the country — $30 million in 1999. In recognition of this gift the school was named the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.

In March 2014, he committed an additional $12.5 million to help fund an expansion and renovation project that will provide new state-of-the-art facilities at Taubman College. In recognition of this significant commitment from Taubman toward construction of the expansion and renovation of the Art and Architecture Building, the new wing will be named the A. Alfred Taubman Wing. Ground was broken on this project Wednesday, with Taubman attending the ceremony.

A. Alfred Taubman waves to the crowd at Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremonies. Looking on are Monica Ponce de Leon (left), dean of the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, President Mark Schlissel and Regent Katherine White. (Photo by Peter Smith Photography)

Other campus namesakes include the A. Alfred Taubman Health Care Center, the Taubman Health Sciences Library, and the A. Alfred Taubman Galleries at the U-M Museum of Art. Taubman received the David B. Hermelin Award for Fundraising Volunteer Leadership in 2009, which celebrates exceptional volunteer service to the university. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1991.

Taubman was serving as a campaign vice chair for the university’s Victors for Michigan campaign, a $4 billion fundraising effort to support three university priorities: student support, engaged learning and bold ideas. He also was co-chairing the Health System’s component of the campaign. 

“I owe the University of Michigan more than I could ever pay back in my lifetime,” Taubman once said. “My experiences here as a young man helped shape every aspect of my life, and this university contributes so much to our state and our nation. I will be forever grateful.”

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Comments

  1. Gregory Barouski
    on May 23, 2015 at 8:16 am

    Thank you Mr. A. Alfred Taubman, just reading about you has inspired me to be more productive in my life !

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