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Charles GrawemeyerAmerican entrepreneur and philanthropist
Date of Birth: 01.01.1912
Country:  USA |
Content:
American Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
Early Life and EducationBorn in Kentucky to German immigrants, Charles H. Gravmeyer graduated from the University of Louisville's accelerated program in 1934 with a degree in chemical engineering.
Business Career
Gravmeyer spent four decades working for Reliance Universal, a paint and varnish company, eventually rising to the position of Chairman of the Board. In 1968, he founded his own firm, Plastic Parts Inc.
Philanthropy
The Grawemeyer FoundationIn 1984, Gravmeyer established the Grawemeyer Foundation, donating $9 million to create an award for outstanding academic music composition. The Grawemeyer Award for Music was first presented to Witold Lutosławski the following year, and has since honored renowned composers such as Krzysztof Penderecki, György Ligeti, Pierre Boulez, Toru Takemitsu, and Kaija Saariaho.
Expanding the Grawemeyer Award
The Grawemeyer Award later expanded to include four additional categories, including "Improving World Order." In 1994, Mikhail Gorbachev was recognized with the award in this category.
