Irving Samuel Gilmore (1900–1986) was a musician, retail businessman, and philanthropist. He worked at and eventually led the Gilmore Brothers department stores business established by his uncle and father.[1]
He was the youngest son of James F. Gilmore (1857–1908) and Carrie Maria Sherwood Gilmore Upjohn (1866–1953). His older brothers were James Stanley Gilmore (1890–1982) and Donald S. Gilmore.[2] His father immigrated to the United States from Belfast, Ireland.[3]
He attended Kalamazoo High School and Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.[3] He graduated from Yale University with a music degree. He supported the Kalamazoo Symphony. He also funded the city's annual Christmas parade.
Gilmore lived in Kalamazoo. His home at 530 West South Street in Kalamazoo is now part of the South Street Historic District and was for sale in 2021.[4]
Legacy
editThe Irving S. Gilmore Foundation he established has granted more than $30 million since the mid-1980s including $2 million to help fund the Irving S. Gilmore Theatre Complex, $4 million to create the Irving S. Gilmore Fine Arts Equipment Endowment, $2 million to support the Virtual Imaging Technology Lab initiative and a dance studio located atop Dunbar Hall, and $3.5 million in to create the Center for Advancing Arts Research (CFAAR), a laboratory and immersive experiences venue. Western Michigan University's music school is named for him. and it has a theater named for him.[4][5] The Irving S. Gilmore Keyboard Festival (now called the Irving S. Gilmore International Piano Festival) is named for him[6] as is the Irving S. Gilmore Music Library at Yale Music School.[7] Irving's Market was also named for him.[8]
The Kalamazoo Valley Museum has photographs of him and other business leaders from the community who were involved in planning the downtown mall.[9]
References
edit- ^ "Gilmore Brothers Department Store — Kalamazoo Public Library".
- ^ Parfet, Martha Gilmore (2014). Keep the Quality Up. Kalamazoo, MI: Privately published. pp. 96 (Vol. I). ISBN 9780692295557.
- ^ a b of 1923, Yale University Class (February 5, 1923). "History of the Class of Nineteen Hundred Twenty-three, Yale College". Class Secretaries Bureau – via Google Books.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Benson, Dave (April 7, 2021). "Own The Irving Gilmore Mansion in Kalamazoo For Less Than $450K". 1077 WRKR.
- ^ "Who was Irving S. Gilmore?". Western Michigan University. February 6, 2023.
- ^ Holland, Bernard (April 28, 1991). "A Pianist Succeeds Without Really Trying". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "About the Music Library | Yale University Library". web.library.yale.edu.
- ^ "Gilmore Brothers (Department store) | ArchivesSpace at Western Michigan University Libraries". aspace.library.wmich.edu.
- ^ alicesarchives.blogspot.com/p/hats-off-to-leta-snow.html?m=1