George T. Delacorte Jr.

George T. Delacorte Jr. (20 June 1894 – 4 May 1991) was an American magazine publisher, born in New York City.

George T. Delacorte Jr.
Born20 June 1894
New York City, New York, United States
Died4 May 1991(1991-05-04) (aged 96)
Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
NationalityAmerican
Alma materColumbia University
OccupationMagazine publisher

He founded the Dell Publishing Company in 1921. His goal was to entertain readers who were not satisfied with the genteel publications available at the time. The company was one of the largest publishers of books, magazines, and comics during its heyday. His most successful innovation was the puzzle magazine.

Delacorte Clock located in the Central Park Zoo.

Biography

An alumnus of Columbia University (1913), Delacorte donated money to the university which established the Delacorte Professorship in the Humanities and helped found the George T. Delacorte Center for Magazine Journalism and the creation of the Delacorte Professorship in Magazine Journalism in 1984. The university recognized him with an honorary doctorate in 1982.

In 1962, he donated money to establish the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, New York City. He also donated money for the Delacorte Clock in the park, an Alice in Wonderland sculpture to the north of Conservatory Water with among others the Mad Hatter (whose face is supposedly modeled on that of Delacorte) in honor of his wife,[1][2][3][4] sculptures of The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet, and a fountain in City Hall Plaza.

He died in Manhattan in 1991 at the age of 96, survived by his second wife Valerie Delacorte (whose second husband was the Hungarian producer Gabriel Pascal), two sons, three daughters, 18 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. His siblings included Eugene Tonkonogy.[5]

He is memorialized by several funds in The New York Community Trust who offer a biographical brochure.[6]

References
  1. Meier, Allison (February 15, 2016). "The Unsung Female Muses of New York's Public Sculpture". Hyperallergic.
  2. "Alice in Wonderland Statue in Central Park". Atlas Obscura.
  3. Howard Halle (March 20, 2020). "10 great outdoor sculptures in NYC you can visit on a socially-distanced stroll". Time Out New York.
  4. Carroll, Raymond (May 20, 2008). "The Complete Illustrated Map and Guidebook to Central Park". Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. – via Google Books.
  5. Douglas, Martin (January 15, 2001). "Eugene Tonkonogy, Investor And Adventurer, Dies at 95". The New York Times. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  6. George T Delacorte New York Community Trust


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