This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Nov. 30, 2011 - Harvey Friedman was a man of many talents. He built a business, became a financial executive, led the Metropolitan Sewer District and supported numerous cultural and community causes.
What Mr. Friedman found most exciting in his later years was his work on behalf of the elderly through Washington University, where the Center for Aging now bears his name.
"He kept going forward; today was always the most exciting for him," said his daughter, Lynn Hamilton. "In the last years of his life, the Wash U aging program was his passion; he loved being involved with brilliant, exciting people."
Mr. Friedman died at his home in Creve Coeur on Sunday of infirmities. He was 90. A memorial service will be at 1 p.m., Wed., Dec. 1 at May Chapel of Temple Israel. Burial will be private.
On the Side of the Aging
Mr. Friedman was no Johnny-come-lately to concerns about the elderly. He had been an advocate for more than 50 years beginning with his growing awareness during his father's final illness in 1960 of the desperate need for quality care for the elderly. But his vision for a world-class center for aging took shape in recent years at Washington University.
His continued support and advocacy for aging research and programs led Washington University to establish the annual Friedman lecture in 2001 and to rename the center as the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging in 2007. The center was designed to enhance productive aging through scientific research, social work, education, the fine arts and public policy.
"Harvey was a great and inspirational person who had a great understanding of aging and its consequences," said Washington University Chancellor Mark Wrighton. "He was proactive in encouraging our work with the aging. It was a privilege to work with him and his entire family on developing the center. I'm deeply grateful to him."
In talking about his idea for the center, Mr. Friedman once noted, inadvertently, how he became a leader, "I was always trying to figure out things that hadn't been done that needed to be done; I never did get a kick out of following somebody else."
His advocacy on behalf of the aged also included involvement with the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation and the School of Medicine through establishment of graduate research fellowships for nurses and an annual prize for a non-physician in the field, and in the establishment of the Harvey A. and Dorismae Hacker Friedman Distinguished Professor of Neurology. For their efforts, in 2008, he and his wife received the Robert S. Brookings Award at Washington University.
At the Forefront of Emerging Fields
Mr. Friedman was born in St. Louis on July 7, 1920. He graduated from Soldan High School in 1938 and enrolled at Washington University. In 1942, he left college to join the Army Air Corps during World War II and served until 1944.
Shortly after returning to St. Louis from military service, Mr. Friedman formed Friedman Textile Co., a wholesale and retail linens and domestics business, with his father. He simultaneously taught at University College at Washington University from 1947-1950.
In 1961, he started Linco International, Inc. and soon began developing and operating small shopping centers known as the International Super Stores throughout the nation. He sold the business in 1968. As an early mass-merchandiser, he worked with Safeway Stores and Woolworth's on the development of Woolco and served as an advisor to the Dayton family for the development of Target Stores.
In 1969, drawing on the personal experience of his father, he sought to create better elderly care and formed Medigroup Inc., developing nursing homes and apartments. The company's capstone project was Castle Park, which transformed the old St. Vincent's Hospital in north St. Louis County into 409 one- and two-bedroom apartments in a campus-like setting. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
During the mid-'70s, Mr. Friedman went into banking. He was one of the founders of the Bank of Ladue and remained with the bank until it was sold in 1977. He then joined Landmark Bancshares, where he became vice chairman of the board from 1979 until 1986.
Fighting for Clean Water
As Mr. Friedman built his business career, his acumen was noted and he was tapped to lead the Metropolitan Sewer District during a period of upheaval. He became MSD's chair in 1986, following his appointment by County Executive Gene McNary.
The district was in trouble with the Environmental Protection Agency, facing federal takeover and incurring huge daily fines.
"Harvey provided leadership at a very difficult time for MSD," said Tom Sullivan, a citizen's advocate who monitored MSD activities. "Citizens and MSD had been at each other's throats, and he brought everyone together and worked out a proposal that everyone liked. We put it on the ballot and it passed."
Under the banner "Clean Water, It's the Law," a $438 million capital improvements issue passed, allowing MSD to impose a temporary surcharge to pay for EPA-ordered improvements.
"We passed the biggest rate increase at the time in MSD history because it was well thought out with a sunset provision," Sullivan said. "It had a lot of safeguards built into it, with pay-as-you-go -- no interest charges.
"That sort of cooperation is something you don't see much of these days," Sullivan lamented. "Harvey was able to overcome the differences."
Mr. Friedman's efforts were appreciated by his successor, Thomas Matheny.
"I was in awe of his abilities and effectiveness," Matheny said. "He had very businesslike ways of running the district. When I stepped in, he had a structure in place with full accounting that made things a lot easier. The (improvements) project was finished a year early and $100 million under budget. None of that could have happened without his ability to work with a coalition."
A Community Servant and Supporter
His prolific community involvement included service on the boards of Lindenwood College and the Jewish Center for Aged; the advisory board of Salvation Army-Midland Division; Missouri State Representative to the first White House Conference on Aging; National Advisory Council on Aging of the National Institutes of Health. He also was a charter member of the World Business Council and a member of the Chief Executives Organization.
In 1986, Mr. Friedman endowed the St. Louis Art Museum's first docent enrichment program. He served for six years, 1983-89, as financial vice president and board member of the Missouri History Museum during a period when the museum was deeply in debt and in jeopardy of closing. He successfully negotiated with the utility companies, garnered $85,000 from the city to pay the bills and worked to include the institution in the Zoo-Museum District.
"He was a great person, a very devoted person and a great leader," Wrighton said.
Mr. Friedman was preceded in death by his parents, Samuel M. and Ida (nee Seidel) Friedman.
In addition to his daughter Lynn Hamilton of St. Louis and his wife of 67 years, Dorismae (nee Hacker) Friedman, survivors include another daughter, Leslie Friedman of San Francisco; a brother, Sterling Friedman of Wichita, Kan., three grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Mr. Friedman's family would appreciate contributions in his memory to the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging, Washington University, School of Medicine, 4488 Forest Park Ave. 63108, or to a charity of the donor's choice.
Gloria Ross is the head of Okara Communications and the storywriter for AfterWords, an obituary-writing and production service.