Emerson mourns loss of Trustee Tony Goldman ’65

In a note to the Emerson Governing Boards late yesterday, President Pelton shared the news that alumnus and Trustee Tony Goldman ’65 died Wednesday, September 5.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Janet, their children, family, and friends. He will be missed,” wrote Pelton.

“Tony was one of a kind,” said President Emerita Jacqueline Liebergott. “He loved his college, particularly because he met his wife, Janet, here. He had a deep commitment to historic preservation, the arts, and building community. He strived to make the College and the multiple neighborhoods he developed reflect his passion and his values,” Liebergott said.

Goldman was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2006 and served his alma mater with distinction. He was deeply involved with the expansion of the College’s Los Angeles Program, including the decision to locate the new building on Sunset Boulevard and the new facility’s design concept.

“Tony will be sorely missed on the Emerson board,” said Board of Trustees Vice Chair Steve Samuels. “He always brought a fresh perspective to everything we worked on. His creative vision was unparalleled. Our L.A. project’s exceptional presence was driven by Tony’s strong sense of place. We’ve lost a leader and a dear friend,” Samuels said.

For more than 30 years, Goldman, who was chairman and CEO of The Goldman Properties Company, recognized the value of reconstructing and transforming declining historic districts into popular, thriving, global destinations. He was the driving force behind the transformations of the Upper West Side, the Wall Street Financial District, and Soho in New York City; Center City in Philadelphia; South Beach in Miami Beach; and the warehouse districts in Miami’s Wynwood and Downtown Boston.

Goldman’s many professional associations included serving as founder and chairman of Miami Beach’s Ocean Drive Association. In addition, he was a member of the National Board of Trustees of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a two-term chairman of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, and past chairman of the board of the Historic Hotels of America. Goldman also served as a board member for New York City’s Downtown Alliance and as a trustee of the Projects for Public Spaces. Goldman had been a speaker at the Harvard Business School, Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and the University of Miami. He taught a course as part of the Freshman Honors Seminars at New York University titled “Historic Preservation and Entrepreneurial Innovation,” and lectured as part of the Dean’s Lecture Series.

Services will be at 12:00 pm on Friday, September 14 at Temple Emanu-El, 1701 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach. Private burial follows.