LuEsther Mertz
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LuEsther T. Mertz (b. December 30, 1905, Ohio - d. February 5, 1991, Long Island, New York), a businesswoman and philanthropist, was the youngest child of a Methodist minister and his wife. She trained as a librarian at Syracuse University.
In 1953, LuEsther and her husband, Harold Mertz, along with their daughter, Joyce, founded Publishers Clearing House. Over the years, Publishers Clearing House grew from an initial mailing of 10,000 letters to a marketing legend. Mrs. Mertz was active in the company's management, serving as a member of its Executive Committee until her death in 1991.
In 1961 she founded Choice Magazine Listening, an audio anthology of magazine writing for the visually impaired. She went on to become a major supporter of Lincoln Center, Central Park Conservancy, New York City Ballet, New York Shakespeare Festival, Joyce Theater Foundation, New York Botanical Garden, Joseph Papp's Public Theater, and the American Civil Liberties Union.
In her own town she served as a Trustee of the Port Washington Public Library and was a founding member of the Port Washington League of Women Voters. LuEsther Mertz was awarded the Mayor's Award for Arts and Culture in 1983 and the New York State Governor's Arts Award in 1986.
Since her death in 1991, aged 85, the LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust has contributed to core programs at the N.Y. Botanical Garden in horticulture, science, and visitor services, as well as to the construction of the Garden Cafe and Terrace Room, an important visitor amenity that opened in 1997. The Trust also donates annually to 13 other named beneficiaries.
