Hyman Kreitman (3 June 1914 – 8 May 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.
Hyman Kreitman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 June 1914 |
| Died | 8 May 2001 (aged 86) |
| Education | Cordwainers College |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, philanthropist |
| Spouse | Irene Cohen |
| Children | 2 sons, 1 daughter |
| Relatives | Jack Cohen (father-in-law) Shirley Porter (sister-in-law) |
Early life
editHyman Kreitman was born on 3 June 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
editKreitman 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
editWith 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
editWith his wife, Kreitman collected sculptures by Kenneth Armitage, Michael Ayrton, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Elisabeth Frink, Anthony Caro and Lynn Chadwick.[1][4] They also collected paintings by John Piper and Ben Nicholson.[4]
Personal life and death
editKreitman married Irene Cohen, the daughter of Tesco founder Jack Cohen.[1] They had two sons and one daughter.[1] He died on 8 May 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
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Serota, Nicholas (21 May 2001). "Hyman Kreitman". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ^ a b Baker, Anne Pimlott (January 2005). "Kreitman, Hyman (1914–2001)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ^ "London Gazette, 4 March 1924" (PDF). London Gazette. 4 March 1924. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Reynolds, Nigel (24 October 2005). "Tesco pioneers' art treasures go on sale". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ^ Oakes, Keily (23 April 2002). "Tate opens £2m research centre". BBC News. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ^ "LIBRARY & ARCHIVE READING ROOMS". Tate. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ^ "Irene and Hyman Kreitman Annual Memorial Lecture". Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. 7 May 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ^ "Irene Kreitman". The Times. 24 June 2005. Retrieved 17 July 2016.