The New school mourns the loss of Walter A. Eberstadt, Philanthropist and Financial Executive |
“Although he witnessed first-hand many of the atrocities of the 20th Century, Walter Eberstadt remained committed to the belief that education, free discourse, and artistic expression could lead the world to greater peace and deeper understanding,” said New School president David E. Van Zandt. “His legacy is one of unwavering faith in human potential.” Born to Jewish parents in Frankfurt am Main, Germany in 1921, Walter Eberstadt immigrated with his family to England in 1935 to escape Nazi persecution. (Mr. Eberstadt would later revisit his family’s history and journey in his 2002 book Whence We Came, Where We Went.) During the Second World War, Mr. Eberstadt enlisted in the British Army as a private in the Pioneer Corps in 1940, and rose to the rank of Major by the war’s end. His service included commanding a platoon in Normandy, from July to August 1944. After he was wounded in service, he took a post in psychological warfare, working at Radio Luxembourg and Radio Hamburg. After the war, Mr. Eberstadt completed his education at Oxford University. From 1948 to 1951, he served on the editorial staff of The Economist before coming to New York in 1951 to begin what would be a six-decade career in investment banking. In 1970, he became General Partner at Lazard. Mr. Eberstadt joined The New School’s board of trustees in 1975, and became a life trustee in 2011. He also served on the Board of Governors of several divisions of The New School: The New School for Social Research (1984 -2011), The New School for General Studies (1989-2004), and The Milano School (1994-2003). A passionate supporter of academic programs in art and design, social research, and international politics, he endowed the Walter A. Eberstadt Professor of Politics and the Walter and Vera Eberstadt Prize Fellowships which fund doctoral students in economics, political science, philosophy, or historical studies. The New School awarded him a Distinguished Service Award in 1990 and an honorary doctorate in 1996. In addition to his service at The New School, Mr. Eberstadt was deeply involved in philanthropic efforts through the Eberstadt-Kuffner Fund, which he founded with his wife, the sculptor Vera von Kuffner Eberstadt in 1967. Since its establishment, the fund has made generous contributions to institutions including The Frick Collection, WNET, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, as well as The New School. He served on the Board of the American Council on Germany, Trustee of The Frick Collection, President of Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust, and Chairman of the Board of the Northside Center for Child Development. Mr. Eberstadt’s many honors include the English O.B.E. and German Verdienstcreutz (1987). Along with his wife, Mr. Eberstadt is survived by his sons George and Michael and daughters-in-law Cynthia Young and Nina Beattie. A memorial service will be held at the Frick Museum on Monday, March 3rd at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be sent to the Frick or The New School for Social Research (79 Fifth Avenue, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10003 or www.newschool.edu/eberstadt). |
| The New School, a leading progressive university in New York City, was founded in 1919 as a center of intellectual and artistic freedom. Today The New School is still in the vanguard of innovation and experimentation in higher education, with more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students in design and the social sciences, the humanities, management, and the performing arts and thousands of adult learners in continuing education courses. Committed to public engagement, The New School welcomes thousands of New Yorkers yearly to its celebrated public programs and maintains a global presence through its online learning programs, research institutes, and international partnerships. Learn more at www.newschool.edu. |
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