![Lord Wolfson (32450821241)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Lord_Wolfson_%2832450821241%29.jpg)
Leonard Gordon Wolfson, Baron Wolfson,
FRS (11 November 1927 – 20 May 2010) was a British businessman, the former chairman of
GUS
Gus is a masculine name, often a diminutive for Angus, August, Augustine, or Augustus, and other names (e.g. Aengus, Argus, Fergus, Ghassan, Gustav, Gustave, Gustafson, Gustavo, Gussie).
It can also be used as the adaptation into English of ...
, and son of GUS magnate
Sir Isaac Wolfson, 1st Baronet. He is the father of
.
He attended
The King's School, Worcester
The King's School, Worcester is an English independent day school refounded by Henry VIII in 1541. It occupies a site adjacent to Worcester Cathedral on the banks of the River Severn in the centre of the city of Worcester. It offers mixed-sex ma ...
from 1942 to 1945.
Having been
knighted
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
in 1977, he was created a
Life Peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...
on 13 June 1985 with the title Baron Wolfson, ''of
Marylebone
Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary.
An Civil parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish and latterly a ...
in the
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and London boroughs, borough in Inner London. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It occupies a large area of cent ...
''. He was a member of the
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
. On the death of his father in 1991, Lord Wolfson succeeded as
2nd Baronet (styled "of St Marylebone in the County of London"). He was granted a leave of absence from the House of Lords from 2008.
He was Chairman of the
Wolfson Foundation
The Wolfson Foundation is a charity that awards grants to support excellence in the fields of science and medicine, health, education and the arts and humanities.
Overview
The endowment of the Wolfson Foundation is currently some £800 million, ...
. He was elected an Honorary Fellow of the
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences.
It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars span ...
in 1986, and an Honorary
Fellow of the Royal Society
Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...
in 2005. He was also an
Honorary Fellow
Honorary titles (professor, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as well as in m ...
of three
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
colleges,
Wolfson College (named after his father Isaac Wolfson),
St Catherine's College, and
Worcester College
Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms w ...
.
He died on 20 May 2010.
Lord Wolfson was a philanthropist, supporting many causes: he was president of the
Jewish Welfare Board, and a trustee of the
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museums (IWM) is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. Founded as the Imperial War Museum in 1917, the museum was intended to record the civil and military ...
. The Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation was set up in 2012, and continues to support scientific and medical research, education and the arts.
See also
*
Victor Barnett
Victor J. Barnett (born 1933) is a British-American businessman, former executive chairman of Burberry, and member of the Wolfson family.
Early life and education
Victor Jules Barnett was born in London, England, in 1933 to Esmond Barnett and E ...
, his cousin
*
David Wolfson, Baron Wolfson of Sunningdale
David Wolfson, Baron Wolfson of Sunningdale (3 November 1935 – 10 March 2021) was a British Conservative politician and businessman.
Early life
David Wolfson was born on 3 November 1935 in Willesden, London. The son of Charles and Hylda Wol ...
, his cousin
*
Simon Wolfson, Baron Wolfson of Aspley Guise
Simon Adam Wolfson, Baron Wolfson of Aspley Guise (born 27 October 1967), is a British businessman and currently chief executive of the clothing retailer Next plc, as well as a Conservative life peer. He is the son of the former Next chairman, ...
, his cousin's son
*
Wolfson family
The Wolfson family is a British Jewish family known for its business, philanthropic, and political activities. The family owes its initial fame to Sir Isaac Wolfson, who built the Great Universal Stores retail empire and created the Wolfson Found ...
References
1927 births
2010 deaths
Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom
British businesspeople in retailing
Conservative Party (UK) life peers
English people of Polish-Jewish descent
English philanthropists
Honorary Fellows of the British Academy
Fellows of the Royal Society
Honorary Fellows of the Royal Society
Knights Bachelor
People educated at King's School, Worcester
Jewish British politicians
20th-century British philanthropists
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