Robert Gavron, Baron Gavron

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Robert Gavron, Baron Gavron CBE (b. 13 September 1930) is a British printing millionaire, philanthropist and a Labour Life Peer.

Gavron studied at Leighton Park School in Reading and St Peter's College, Oxford and became a barrister, called to the bar by Middle Temple in 1955. The same year he married his first wife, Hannah Fyvel, who died in 1965. He founded the St Ives Group in 1964, serving as Chairman 1964-93. He was the Director of Octopus Publishing plc. between 1975-87 and Electra Management plc. 1981-92; proprietor of The Carcanet Press Ltd. from 1983; and the Chairman of the Folio Society since 1982, the National Gallery Co Ltd (formerly named National Gallery Publications Ltd.) 1996-98, and the Guardian Media Group plc. 1997-2000.

He was chairman of the Open College of the Arts 1991-96, a director of the Royal Opera House 1992-98, a trustee of the National Gallery 1994-2001, the Scott Trust 1997-2000, and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation 1987-2005. He has been a governor of the London School of Economics since 1997 and chairs his own charitable trust.

Gavron and his second wife, Nicky Gavron (née Nicolette Coates), are active in the Labour Party. Nicky Gavron, a long-serving Local Authority Councillor, was subsequently elected to the London Assembly and has become the Deputy Mayor of London. They divorced in 1987 and he has since married for a third time in 1989.

Bob Gavron was a financial contributor to the Labour Leader's Office Fund run by Lord Levy to finance Tony Blair's private office before the 1997 General Election. Gavron received a life peerage as Baron Gavron, of Highgate in the Borough of Camden on 6 August 1999.