Charles Benenson

Charles B. Benenson (30 January 1913 – 22 February 2004) was an American real estate developer and investor.

Charles B. Benenson
BornJanuary 30, 1913
DiedFebruary 22, 2004(2004-02-22) (aged 91)
Palm Beach, Florida
EducationB.A. Yale University
OccupationReal estate investor
Known forpresident of Benenson Realty Co
Spouse(s)Dorothy Freedman (divorced)
Jane Garcy Stein (until death)
Partner(s)Peggy A. Lipson Coudert
Childrenwith Freedman:
--Bruce William Benenson
--Frederick Benenson
with Lipson Coudert:
--Lawrence Benenson
Parent(s)Benjamin Benenson
Websitebenensoncapital.com

Biography

Benenson Realty Co. was founded by his father Benjamin Benenson in 1905 and grew into an industry leader under his guidance, until his death in 1938. The younger Benenson graduated from Yale University in 1933 and joined his father's firm in 1937,[1] during the depths of the Great Depression through which the company survived due to their lucrative lease with The Horn & Hardart automat at 31st and Broadway.[2] He ran the company until his death in 2004.

Benenson was a philanthropist and political donor. His efforts and views landed him on the master list of Nixon political opponents. He was a founding member of the Association for a Better New York, the Realty Foundation, the Lincoln Center Real Estate and Construction Council, the New York Junior Tennis League, the I Have a Dream Program, and the Museum of African Art.[3] He was also a major collector of African art, and upon his death left much of his collection to the Yale University Art Gallery.[4]

Personal life

In 1942, he married his first wife, Dorothy (née Freedman) with whom he had two children: Bruce William Benenson and Frederick C. Benenson.[5][6] They later divorced[5] (she remarried to Lewis B. Cullman).[5] His second marriage was to Peggy A. (née Lipson) Coudert; they had one son, Lawrence B. Benenson.[7] His third wife was Jane (née Garcy) Stein.[8][3] His funeral was held at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan.[3]

References
  1. Benson Capital website: "About Us" retrieved September 26, 2017
  2. Real Estate Weekly: "Great Real Estate Families" August 20, 2005
  3. "Deaths BENENSON, CHARLES B." The New York Times. February 25, 2004.
  4. Yale Alumni Magazine: "Objects of Desire - Charlie Benenson '33, who amassed one of the world's finest private collections of African art, also helped discover American artists such as Saul Steinberg and Red Grooms. Virtually all of his extraordinary collection is coming to Yale." by Kathrin Lassila September/October 2004
  5. New York Times: "Dorothy Cullman, 91, Dies; Patron of City Institutions" by DENNIS HEVESI April 8, 2009
  6. "Donna Mileti Plans To Be Wed Aug. 5". The New York Times. July 2, 1978.
  7. New York Times: "Paid Notice: Deaths COUDERT, PEGGY A. (NEE LIPSON)" March 25, 2003
  8. Legacy.com: "JANE BENENSON Obituary" Published in The New York Times on January 3, 2014

Further reading
  • Staff report (June 28, 1973). Lists of White House 'Enemies' and Memorandums Relating to Those Named. The New York Times
  • Thomas, Landon Jr. (February 24, 2004). Charles Benenson, Developer And Philanthropist, Dies at 91. The New York Times
  • Accumulating Histories: African Art from the Charles B. Benenson Collection at the Yale University Art Gallery. Frederick Lamp, Amanda M. Maples, and Laura M. Smalligan. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012.
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