Dean L. Gitter, (born 1935), is an entrepreneur and a real estate developer in the Catskills in New York State.[1][2]
Gitter is a graduate of Phillips Academy, Harvard College, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and the Harvard Business School.[3]
In the 1950s, Gitter produced recordings for Riverside Records, notably Odetta's debut album, Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues. Under the pseudonym of Dean Laurence, he produced Sam Gary's only album for the Esquire (UK) and Transition (US) labels.[4]
In 1957, Gitter recorded Ghost Ballads, released by Riverside Records. This album features Gitter singing, accompanied by his own acoustic guitar, and contains folk songs with supernatural themes. The album cover art is by Charles Addams.[5][6]
In 1969, Gitter's University Cinema Association opened the Orson Welles Cinema in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[7][8]
Gitter's other business ventures include starting a Kingston-based regional TV station (WTZA), co-founding the Big Indian Spring Water Company, and running Catskill Corners, including the Emerson Resort & Spa in Mt. Tremper, New York. The Emerson Resort & Spa is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and Catskill Corners features the world's largest kaleidoscope.[2][9][10]
Gitter is currently the Managing Partner of Crossroads Ventures, LLC, a venture capital company located in Mt. Tremper, New York.[11][12]
Dean Gitter is interested in spirituality and teaches meditation in Big Indian, New York. His spiritual teacher was Albert Rudolph (Rudi). Gitter was the property manager for Rudi's ashram at Big Indian from 1970-1973.[13]