William S. Lasdon (1896 – December 9, 1984) was an American pharmaceutical executive and philanthropist.

Early life

William S. Lasdon was born to a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

in 1896. He was one of seven children including brothers Jacob S. Lasdon, Philip S. Lasdon, Milton Lasdon, Stanley S. Lasdon, and sisters Mrs. Francis Milch and Mrs. Miriam Gerrity.

Philanthropy

Lasdon was president of the eponymous foundation which he and his family formed in 1946. The Lasdon Foundation and subsequent generations of family trusts have been major supporters of medical research and the arts in New York. Lasdon was also a member of the board of overseers of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a director of the Cerebral Palsy Association and the

Boys Clubs of America Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is a national organization of local chapters which provide voluntary after-school programs for young people. The organization, which holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code, h ...

Personal life

Lasdon married Mildred D. Silverman in 1922 and had a son Robert Lasdon and a daughter, philanthropist

Nanette L. Laitman Nanette L. Laitman (born 1924, New York City - March 23, 2020) was an art collector and philanthropist. She has been involved with the board of the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) and its precursors in New York City for over 25 years. She became ...

. Their former country estate is now the

Lasdon Park and Arboretum Lasdon Park and Arboretum (95 ha / 234 acres) is a public park containing gardens and an arboretum (12 ha / 30 acres). It is located on New York State Route 35, Somers, New York, and open to the public daily without charge. Originally called ...

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lasdon, William S. 1896 births 1984 deaths 20th-century American Jews People from Brooklyn Philanthropists from New York (state)