Leonard H. Lavin (October 29, 1919 – August 2, 2017) was an American businessman, racehorse owner and breeder, and philanthropist, who, in 1955 founded the Alberto-Culver Company."Our Story"
- Alberto-Culver release He served as chairman emeritus of the company and was a director of the international manufacturer/distributor of personal care and household/grocery products. Lavin was also a director of Histogen, a regenerative medicine company based in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

Background

Lavin studied at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

then served in the US Navy for four years. In 1947 he married Bernice Weiser, who went on to become an executive of Alberto-Culver and played an important part in the company's success.

Philanthropy

Among their philanthropic activities is the Bernice and Leonard H. Lavin Endowed Scholarship for Inner City Chicagoland Students at

Lewis University Lewis University is a private Roman Catholic and Lasallian university in Romeoville, Illinois, United States. The enrollment is currently around 6,800 students. Lewis offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and programs of study, 22 graduate pro ...

Romeoville, Illinois Romeoville is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The village is located southwest of Chicago on the Des Plaines River. Per the 2020 census, the population was 39,863. It is located in the southwest suburban area of Chicago near I ...

, the Lavin VentureStart programs in the Entrepreneurial Management Center at

San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...

, and th
Leonard and Bernice Lavin Entrepreneurship Program
at the University of Washington.

Thoroughbred racing

Since the 1960s, Lavin was involved in

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

. He owned Glen Hill Farm in

Ocala, Florida Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County within the northern region of Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 63,591, making it the 54th most populated city in Florida. Home to ...

, where he bred

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

s. In 1994 he was voted the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association's Florida Breeder of the Year award. Among his best-known horses are

Relaunch Relaunch (March 16, 1976 – November 5, 1996) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Background Relaunch was a gray horse bred in Kentucky by Three Chimneys Farm & Taylor Made Farms. During his racing career he was owned by Glen Hill ...

, an outstanding sire whose daughter

One Dreamer One Dreamer may refer to: * One Dreamer (horse) One Dreamer (foaled 1988 in Florida) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1994 Breeders' Cup Distaff. Background One Dreamer was bred and raced by the Glen Hill ...

won the 1994

Breeders' Cup Distaff The Breeders' Cup Distaff is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, 3 years old and up. Known as the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic between 2008 and 2012, it is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or ...

, In 2015, he was awarded the

Eclipse Award Of Merit The Eclipse Award of Merit is part of the American Eclipse Awards in Thoroughbred horse racing. The industry's highest honor, it is presented to an individual or entity displaying outstanding lifetime achievement in, and service to, the Thoroughbre ...

, a lifetime achievement award. Lavin is the author of ''Winners Make It Happen: Reflections of a Self-Made Man''.

Awards

Leonard H. Lavin was inducted as a Laureate of

The Lincoln Academy of Illinois The Lincoln Academy of Illinois is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to recognizing contributions made by living Illinoisans. Named for Abraham Lincoln, the Academy administers the ''Order of Lincoln'', the highest award given ...

and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State's highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 1997 in the area of Business and Industry.

Death

He died in August 2017 at the age of 97 from complications of pneumonia.Glen Hill Founder Leonard Lavin Passes Away
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lavin, Leonard H. 1919 births 2017 deaths United States Navy personnel of World War II American racehorse owners and breeders Businesspeople from Chicago Eclipse Award winners Philanthropists from Illinois Military personnel from Illinois 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American philanthropists Deaths from pneumonia in the United States 21st-century American Jews