Hyman Kreitman
| Hyman Kreitman | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 3, 1914 |
| Died | May 8, 2001 |
| Education | Cordwainers College |
| Occupation | Businessman, philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) | Irene Cohen |
| Children | 2 sons, 1 daughter |
| Relatives |
Jack Cohen (father-in-law) Shirley Porter (sister-in-law) |
Hyman Kreitman (1914–2001) was a British businessman, philanthropist and art collector. He served as the chairman of Tesco from 1970 to 1974. He was a donor to Tate and the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Early life
Hyman Kreitman was born on June 3, 1914.[1][2] He had four older brothers.[1] His father was Abraham Kreitman, who owned A. Kreitman & Sons, Boot and Shoe Manufacturers, of 28 Cambridge Road, Mile End, London.[3] The business was "one of London's largest and most successful shoe manufacturers".[1]
He was educated at Cordwainers College, now part of the London College of Fashion.[1] He served in the Royal Artillery during World War II.[1]
Career
Kreitman became an executive at Tesco, the supermarket chain.[1] He served as its managing director from 1968 to 1970, and as its chairman from 1970 to 1974.[1]
Philanthropy
With his wife, Kreitman endowed the Kreitman Foundation.[1][4] They donated to Wigmore Hall and the Royal National Theatre.[4] They also donated GBP£2.2 million to Tate Britain,[5] where the Hyman Kreitman Reading Rooms are named in his honour.[6] Meanwhile, they supported the establishment of Tate Modern.[4]
Kreitman and his wife were donors to the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel,[1] where the Kreitman Plaza is named in their honour, as is the Irene and Hyman Kreitman Annual Memorial Lecture.[7] Kreitman received an honorary doctorate in philosophy from BGU in 1979.[1]
Art collection
With his wife, Kreitman collected sculptures by Kenneth Armitage, Michael Ayrton, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Elizabeth Frink, Anthony Caro and Lynn Chadwick.[1][4] They also collected paintings by John Piper and Ben Nicholson.[4]
Personal life and death
Kreitman married Irene Cohen, the daughter of Tesco founder Jack Cohen.[1] They had two sons and one daughter.[1] He died on May 8, 2001, at the age of 86.[1][2] His widow, Irene, died in 2005.[8] Their art collection was auctioned by Sotheby's in October 2005.[4]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Serota, Nicholas (May 21, 2001). "Hyman Kreitman". The Guardian. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
- 1 2 Baker, Anne Pimlott (January 2005). "Kreitman, Hyman (1914–2001)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
- ↑ "London Gazette, 4 March 1924" (PDF). London Gazette. 4 March 1924. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Reynolds, Nigel (October 24, 2005). "Tesco pioneers' art treasures go on sale". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
- ↑ Oakes, Keily (April 23, 2002). "Tate opens £2m research centre". BBC News. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
- ↑ "LIBRARY & ARCHIVE READING ROOMS". Tate. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
- ↑ "Irene and Hyman Kreitman Annual Memorial Lecture". Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. May 7, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
- ↑ "Irene Kreitman". The Times. June 24, 2005. Retrieved July 17, 2016.