Far Left: Alfred Taubman and his wife,
Judith, at his 90th birthday celebra-
tion last year at the Detroit Institute
of Arts.
Center: William, Gayle, Alfred and
Robert Taubman with former U-M
president Mary Sue Coleman, second
from right.
Left: Dr. Eva Feldman, director of U-M's
Taubman Research Institute, with
Alfred Taubman.
`Alfred was not
only one of the
true giants of
business and
philanthropy,
he also was a wonder-
ful person and a great
mentor."
entrepreneurial toe into the sports world as
owner of the United States Football League's
Michigan Panthers team in the early 1980s.
Family Ties
Mr. Taubman married the former Reva
Kolodney in 1948, and together they raised
three children, Gayle, Robert and William.
After 28 years, the couple divorced and, in
1982, he married Judith Rounick, his wife
of the past 33 years.
Though Mr. Taubman appeared regularly
on the Forbes magazine list of billionaires,
with a recent net worth estimate of $3.1
billion, when asked what he considered
his greatest accomplishment, he invariably
named his family.
"He was a wonderful father and grand-
father; he had a deep connection to all
of us," said his son, Bobby, who has fond
memories of Friday night dinners with his
grandparents, parents and siblings.
Jewish Identity
Jewish identity was paramount to Mr.
Taubman. He was an active and devoted
member of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in
Southfield throughout much of his life and
a staunch supporter of Jewish organizations
in Israel and at home. He took great pride
in his heritage and encouraged his children
to value their Judaism as well.
"Being Jewish was part of his being:'
Bobby said.
His longstanding dedication to local
Jewish life is reflected in the A. Alfred
Taubman Jewish Community Campus
in Oak Park, which includes the Jimmy
Prentis Morris Jewish Community Center,
the adjacent Jewish Senior Life apartment
buildings, a mikvah, two playgrounds and
a beautifully landscaped plaza designed to
serve as a neighborhood gathering place.
Mr. Taubman's firm constructed the Oak
Park JCC building in 1956, marking more
than half a century of his involvement with
the Jewish campus and its surrounding
community.
Following Max Fisher's death, Mr.
Taubman was known for hosting
Federation's Fisher Meeting (which became
the Taubman Meeting), a multigenerational
gathering at the core of Federation's annual
fundraising efforts that remains one of the
most important and successful Jewish fund-
raising events in the nation.
Mr. Taubman also served as a respected
mentor and trusted adviser to several gen-
erations of Jewish community leaders, leav-
ing an indelible legacy with both his vision
and his spirit.
"Alfred will be remembered as a titan of
philanthropy, modeling leadership of tze-
dakah throughout the world:' said Phillip
Wm. Fisher, son of Max Fisher. "This active
leadership was not about just giving, but
proactive giving-back"
Education, Medical Causes
Mr. Taubman's lifelong love of learning led
to his strong support of educational institu-
tions in his community and elsewhere.
"My father was fascinated by the world;
he was interested in everything; Bobby
Taubman said. "He instilled that thirst for
knowledge, that love of education and learn-
ing, in all of us, including his grandchildren:'
His early ties to the University of
Michigan as a young architecture student
led Mr. Taubman to become a major sup-
porter; his contributions over the years
total more than $142 million, making him
one of the largest donors in U-M's history.
The capstone of that legacy is the A. Alfred
Taubman Medical Research Institute, made
possible by a $100 million gift in 2007. His
vision for this groundbreaking institution
came from a longtime interest in medical
research and his belief that it was possible to
cure debilitating diseases such as ALS (Lou
Gehrig's disease), Alzheimer's and cancer.
"Alfred took very seriously the Jewish tra-
dition of tik k un olam — that it is the duty
of all of us to 'heal the world,'" said Dr. Eva
Feldman, Taubman Research Institute direc-
tor and a close friend of Mr. Taubman. "I
think it was almost inevitable that he would
become interested in medical research as
part of his lifelong commitment to helping
others ... For him, the institute had one sin-
gular mission — to find cures for diseases
that take such a terrible human toll:'
His vision was to create a creative
research community where clinician-sci-
entists could pursue treatments and cures
without the constraints of conventional
granting mechanisms. He also provided for
a Taubman Scholar grant program, includ-
ing a category for emerging scholars, which
has led to more than 50 new clinical trials
originated by qualified participants.
"There was little in life that gave Alfred
more pleasure than visiting our laboratories
and sitting down with his scientists and learn-
ing about their research:' Feldman said.
"They were always so impressed by his
understanding of their work and how much
he wanted to help them move their discoveries
out of the laboratory and into clinical trials:'
The 2008 Michigan constitutional amend-
ment that lifted many of the restrictions on
– Scott Kaufman, CEO of the
Jewish Federation
`Al Taubman
impacted the
well-being of
millions who
never met him
because of his unwaver-
ing support for the health
and education needs
of all Americans. He
earned great wealth but
never forgot his roots.
He reached the top but
maintained compassion
for the underdog. He
could be very blunt but
even more sensitive about
the feelings of others. He
was much beloved by all
of us privileged to know
him over many years."
– U.S. Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI)
Mogul And Mentsh on page 10
April 23 • 2015
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