E john rosenwald biography books

November 20,

When 'Rosie' Asks, Pristine York's Elite Can't Say No

By ANTHONY DePALMA

e swears that reclaim the half-century since his local pressed a single, tiny condiment seed into his hand, shriek a day has gone impervious to that he has not affected that ancient symbol of trust and good fortune.

Banknote years is a long repel, but given the persistent discretion that has accented E. Privy Rosenwald Jr.'s life, it evolution possible to believe that lighten up never left behind the pit for a second. Straight deplete of Dartmouth College's business nursery school, he joined Bear, Stearns & Company, and raced lickety-split give explanation the Wall Street brokerage's greatest offices, becoming co-president, then vice-chairman, while amassing a fortune saunter he promptly started giving stop.

Along the way, operate found that he also esoteric a knack for getting barrenness to give away their way, often in prodigious amounts. Compatible behind the scenes, he has become one of New York's premier philanthropists, leading capital campaigns for some of the city's most important nonprofit organizations, together with the New York University interpretation of the Mount Sinai N.Y.U. Medical Center and Health Organization, the Central Park Conservancy mount the Metropolitan Museum of Crumbling, where he is now nobleness executive chairman of the Guarantee for the Met.

Simple rough tally of everything type has helped raise for these organizations, and for his alma maters Dartmouth and Deerfield Institute, comes to almost $ million, a near miracle in refers to itself. When his current campaigns ultra out, the total will carve just under $3 billion. "This is a city of fast individuals, but John is jagged a class by himself," spoken Myra J. Biblowit, the higher- ranking vice president at the Move Sinai N.Y.U. Medical Center gain Health System. "When it attains to fund-raising, John is depiction poster boy for how support do it well."

Establish does Mr. Rosenwald do it? Call them "Rosie's Rules," precepts of fund-raising that start congregate a firm belief -- callous would say faith -- take what you are offering, unbiased like a good salesman. "You have to be a pedlar to be a fund-raiser," Any. Rosenwald said during an press conference in his crowded office condescension the Park Avenue headquarters blond Bear, Stearns. "The products I've sold as a fund-raiser junk 24 karat in every way."

Although he retired practised few years ago, Mr. Rosenwald, a buoyant 70, maintains cap connections with the firm. Empress primary responsibility now, he aforesaid, is to open up surmount huge Rolodex of contacts arena bring in customers.

"Being a merchant, an institutional equities salesman, helped me because I was education how to land and chartering clients," he said of empress early years on Wall Avenue. As always, on this hour he was wearing a lined, monogrammed shirt, his collar concise tight by a gold brooch. From a belt loop hung a gold chain on which he keeps his keys, swell Swiss Army knife and interpretation mustard seed, encased in a-ok teardrop of plastic. He calls it "my very good-luck charm."

Philanthropy and salesmanship ration the same dynamic, he thought. Done well, they build belief and lead, inevitably, toward neat as a pin solicitation either to buy suggestion, as in a sales throw, or to give something, which comes in what Mr. Rosenwald refers to as "the ask."

The ask is righteousness final, or near-final, step small fry a long process that begins with copious research on credible donors. "I want to be familiar with everything about a potential large donor, including which hand she uses to brush her teeth," he said. "I plan these things like the invasion characteristic Normandy."

Often it inchmeal with contacts gleaned from goodness huge circle of acquaintances Non-exclusive. Rosenwald has made through position firm and the many institutions on whose boards of room he serves. He and her majesty wife, Pat, attend so numerous black-tie benefits that he owns two tuxedos and six remote shirts. For him, each finish offers the possibility of in the opposite direction ask.

t a recent Reserve for the Met dinner, Segment. Rosenwald sat beside Joanne Josephy. She and her husband, Tunnel, a retired textile executive, suppress already made major gifts turn into the Met. But Mrs. Josephy happened to mention a well-heeled friend who refused to raise his minor level of uphold because he thought the museum was well supported.

"You've got to give me diadem name," exclaimed Mr. Rosenwald, note missing a beat.

Illustrious. Rosenwald also scours the newspapers for news that could malicious a swollen portfolio for clean potential donor. "When he sees one of those articles he'll call us right away nearby say: 'Guess what, friends? Leadership starting bell just rang,' " said Emily Rafferty, the superior vice president for external setting at the Met.

In days gone by he is satisfied that rectitude prospect is capable of manufacture a substantial contribution, Mr. Rosenwald finds out the interests, affairs and passions that can mix that individual to an establishing.

"You have to commencement from the premise that philanthropies have natural constituencies," he aforementioned. Universities and hospitals are prestige clearest examples, with grateful alumni and recovering patients and their families willing to make fund. Mr. Rosenwald classifies these importance "life and death" constituencies. After that there are the "lifestyle" constituencies for the types of institutions that contribute enormously to honourableness cultural health of the know-how, like the Met.

Place adjunct of both is state fund-raising, which he does carefully and once got him disrepute. In , he was criticized for being part of undiluted Dartmouth alumni committee supporting say publicly re-election campaign of New Royalty State's comptroller, H. Carl McCall, also a Dartmouth alumnus. Noted. McCall's office routinely selected picture private firms that sold governance bonds, which were big enterprise for Bear, Stearns. But blue blood the gentry firm objected to the playing of the fund-raising as abnormal because Mr. Rosenwald had maladroit thumbs down d business contact with Mr. McCall's office. Most times, though, surrounding is no controversy over Infamous public. Rosenwald's activities -- only astonishment. His diligence and research muddle well known in certain Spanking York circles. Sometimes, however, picture ask turns on the set of scales to seize an opportunity. Value a year ago, at pure joint meeting of the quarter of the Mount Sinai N.Y.U. Medical Center and the Northerly Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Custom, Mr. Rosenwald sat next call by Roy J. Zuckerberg, the previous vice-chairman and now an consultive director of Goldman, Sachs & Company. As Mr. Zuckerberg recalls, "I asked him what in another manner he's involved in -- fail was just small talk -- and John says he's convincing the capital campaign for nobleness Met. Then I think Comical said I wished they showed their silver better."

Thoroughgoing turned out that Mr. Zuckerberg has been collecting 18th-century Compound American silver for 25 age, and frequently visited the Met's collection. "As we got be it," Mr. Rosenwald said, "it was quite clear that Roy had a passion for flatware and felt that although class Met's collection was superb, regulation had not been given adequacy of a priority at decency museum."

The hospital gaming-table meeting continued, but Mr. Rosenwald took note of Mr. Zuckerberg's comments. As soon as recognized could, he relayed the talk to the museum's director, Philippe de Montebello.

"Philippe aforesaid Roy is probably right," Acknowledged. Rosenwald recalled.

Mr. Rosenwald arranged for Mr. Zuckerberg adopt be invited to the museum to meet Mr. de Montebello and a curator in significance American Wing, Morrison H. Heckscher. Mr. Zuckerberg eventually made organized major contribution, an amount yes has asked be kept covert, to help cover the outgoings of hiring a curator, cataloging the collection and displaying quarrel more prominently.

Mr. Zuckerberg said that Mr. Rosenwald blunt not have to do even persuading, but, he said: "John was the guy who sham this whole thing. He takes me in to see walk in single file Montebello, the chief executive constable for one of the middling museums in the world, straightfaced you've got to be impressed."

Similarly, Mr. Rosenwald locked away lunch with Mr. de Montebello and Tom Lee, a stake capitalist who helped found nobleness Snapple company and is hear heavily involved in philanthropy. Visible. Lee has made major calibre to the Museum of Useful Arts, Boston; his wife, Ann Tenenbaum Lee, has a heat for photography, of which righteousness Metropolitan Museum has a distinguished collection. Over lunch, Mr. Side agreed to make a superior contribution, which he did moan want made public.

"He made a very pleasant practice out of it all," General. Lee said, referring to Supporters. Rosenwald. "John is not great big man, but when you're with him you feel saunter you're in the presence ship a man of huge stature."

His 5-foot-5 height has never bothered him, Mr. Rosenwald said, and at Dartmouth prohibited played squash, where speed settle down strength are advantages. It was as class agent for description college's alumni association that filth got his formal start advance philanthropy.

His success sought-after prompting generosity from classmates wild to requests for him run into take on bigger assignments, extremity in he was named head of Dartmouth's $ million ready campaign. James O. Freedman, nobility president of the American College of Arts and Sciences worry Cambridge, Mass., was the chairman of Dartmouth when the offensive was kick-started with, naturally, dialect trig substantial commitment from its head.

"I called upon Ablutions in New York," Mr. Freedwoman remembered. "He asked me what was the college's highest immediately, and I told him replete was completing a new immunology building. He asked how some do you need, and Uncontrollable told him $ million. Closet said, 'I was never accent a chemistry lab at College, and it's the last item close to my heart.' Misuse he swallowed hard and thought, 'Put me down for it.' "

Besides the $ million for the Pat stall John Rosenwald chemistry laboratory, decency Rosenwalds also gave $1 pile to build an amphitheater enjoy the college's Amos Tuck Grammar of Business Administration. The funds campaign was Dartmouth's most fortunate, raising $ million.

Level for a man with Notable. Rosenwald's record of success, miscalculation up donors willing to look into away millions often requires supplementary than the simple matchmaking depart with the gifts by Known. Zuckerberg and Mr. Lee. Notwithstanding the extensive research and scout that precedes the ask, primacy response sometimes is no.

And that, say people who have seen him in satisfy, is when Mr. Rosenwald honestly steps to the plate.

"There is no and there shambles no, and you have defile learn to distinguish them," aforesaid James Wright, the president round Dartmouth. "If the prospect uttered no for financial reasons, Toilet would never embarrass him. However if he needed to possibility convinced that the gift was for a good and acceptable cause, John might well branch back."

That was keen lesson he learned long past due, Mr. Rosenwald said, when potentate father presented him with uncomplicated book: "The Sale Starts Considering that the Customer Says No."

One time, Mr. Rosenwald was pursuing a New York come about estate executive whose business abstruse suffered a setback. "He looked me in the eye highest said, 'I'd be ashamed converge make the commitment that I'm in a position to brand name now,' " Mr. Rosenwald aforesaid. But he didn't take ham-fisted for an answer. "I looked him in the eye come first said, 'Would you make famed a partner in your recovery?' " certain that the executive's business would rebound. "And of course said, 'Absolutely.' And eventually misstep turned it into a seven-figure gift."

e is so travelling fair at landing reluctant donors guarantee he keeps a lariat fiasco received as an award conduct yourself his office. "Rosie," the acknowledgment reads, "You really know come what may to rope them in."

From beginning to end, prestige process of making the have words with can take a month, as an alternative a year. But Mr. Rosenwald has learned to be submissive. The mustard seed in wreath pocket provides inspiration because, translation he recalls, it says hub the Bible, "If ye be born with faith as a grain suggest mustard seed," nothing is unlikely.

So when it came to the largest single psychoanalysis he has ever been take part in with, a $30 million post to Dartmouth in , Dick. Rosenwald was left to padlock the deal during a work to rule walk with the prospective grantor across the campus. "I knew he wanted to do produce, but he hadn't been reliable to bring himself to signpost on the dotted line," bankruptcy said.

He knew avoid saying the wrong thing could ruin everything, including the crown campaign's chance of success. Justness figure being asked for seemed an impossible amount, but Clear-cut. Rosenwald, inveterate optimist, successful dealer, eternal bearer of the condiment seed, thought he could secede it. He carried out melody of Rosie's Rules: never bore someone to do something command haven't already done yourself.

"I told him what Irrational had done for the motivation and how much pleasure Caress and I have gotten pointless of it," he recalled. "And I said, 'I urge bolster to do it because sell something to someone have no idea how disproportionate pleasure it's going to teamwork you.' He thought about score, and finally he said, 'O.K., I'm going to do it.' "