Richard Menschel (born c. 1935) is an American investment banker, art collector and philanthropist. He is a (retired) senior director of Goldman Sachs. Through the Charina Endowment Fund and the Charina Foundation, he supports art museums, schools and health charities. He won the 2015 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.

Early life

Richard Menschel was born circa 1935. His father, Benjamin Menschel, was a real estate investor. He has a brother, Robert Menschel, who also works for Goldman Sachs. Menschel was educated at the

Bronx High School of Science The Bronx High School of Science, commonly called Bronx Science, is a public specialized high school in The Bronx in New York City. It is operated by the New York City Department of Education. Admission to Bronx Science involves passing the Sp ...

. He graduated from Syracuse University, and he earned a master in business administration from the Harvard Business School in 1959. He was a lieutenant in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

Business career

Menschel worked at Goldman Sachs for 25 years. He was a partner by the mid-1970s, and served on its management committee. He retired as senior director in 1988. When Goldman Sachs became a public company in 1999, Menschel earned $20 million in shares. Menschel also served on the board of directors of T. Rowe Price.

Philanthropy and political activity

Menschel was the managing director of the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, which became the Charina Endowment Fund in 1992. Through the Charina Endowment Fund, he has donated over $13 million. With his wife, Menschel also donates $1 million via the Charina Foundation. He has supported art museums like the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

, the

Jewish Museum A Jewish museum is a museum which focuses upon Jews and may refer seek to explore and share the Jewish experience in a given area. List of Jewish museums Notable Jewish museums include: *Albania ** Solomon Museum, Berat *Australia ** Jewish Mu ...

and the

Neue Galerie New York The Neue Galerie New York ( German for "New Gallery") is a museum of early twentieth-century German and Austrian art and design located in the William Starr Miller House at 86th Street and Fifth Avenue in New York City. Established in 2001, ...

, and schools like Rockefeller University and the

New York Law School New York Law School (NYLS) is a private law school in Tribeca, New York City. NYLS has a full-time day program and a part-time evening program. NYLS's faculty includes 54 full-time and 59 adjunct professors. Notable faculty members include E ...

. He also endowed the Horace W. Goldsmith Fellowship at the Harvard Business School and donated to the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative. He was the chairman of

Hospital for Special Surgery Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a hospital in New York City that specializes in orthopedic surgery and the treatment of rheumatologic conditions. Founded in 1863 by James Knight, HSS is the oldest orthopedic hospital in the United States ...

, and he has donated to

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK or MSKCC) is a cancer treatment and research institution in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, founded in 1884 as the New York Cancer Hospital. MSKCC is one of 52 National Cancer Institute– ...

and the

NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital The NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is a nonprofit academic medical center in New York City affiliated with two Ivy League medical schools, Cornell University and Columbia University. The hospital comprises seven distinct campuses located in the New Y ...

. He is a vice president of the board of trustees of the Morgan Library & Museum. He was appointed to the

New York City Panel for Educational Policy The Panel for Educational Policy of the Department of Education of the City School District of the City of New York, abbreviated as the Panel for Educational Policy and also known as the New York City Board of Education, is the governing body of ...

by mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2002. With his brother Robert, Menschel received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2015.

Personal life

Menschel married Ronay Arlt, then an assistant to Congressman

Ed Koch Edward Irving Koch ( ; December 12, 1924February 1, 2013) was an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, film critic, and television personality. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and was ma ...

and now the chairman of Phipps Houses. Their wedding was held at Menshel's mother's house, presided over by Rabbi Ronald B. Sobel of the

Temple Emanu-El of New York Congregation Emanu-El of New York is the first Reform Jewish congregation in New York City and, because of its size and prominence, has served as a flagship congregation in the Reform branch of Judaism since its founding in 1845. The congregati ...

. They have three daughters. Menschel is also an art collector.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Menschel, Richard Living people 1930s births Businesspeople from New York City Military personnel from New York City Syracuse University alumni Harvard Business School alumni American investment bankers Goldman Sachs people Philanthropists from New York (state) American art collectors New York (state) Democrats Menschel family