Cause of death heart failure Occupation Diplomat | Name Maxwell Gluck | |
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Born November 4, 1899 Commerce, Texas Spouse(s) Muriel (Schlesinger) Gluck Died November 21, 1984, Los Angeles, California, United States | ||
Maxwell Henry Gluck (November 4, 1899 – November 21, 1984) was an American businessman, diplomat, thoroughbred horsebreeder and philanthropist. He served as the United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka from September 19, 1957 to October 2, 1958.
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Early life
Maxwell Henry Gluck was born on November 4, 1899 in Commerce, Texas. He grew up in Sharon, Pennsylvania, where his parents owned a small store.
Career
In 1929, he opened a women's store in New York City. It later became a chain known as the Darling Stores Corporation, with 150 stores in 27 states. Gluck served as its Chairman. In 1960, the Darling Stores Corporation merged with Grayson-Robinson Stores, which he purchased. Later, he served as Chairman of the A. S. Beck Shoe Corporation and Willoughby's Peerless Camera Stores.
Diplomacy
He was appointed by President Dwight Eisenhower to serve as the United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka from September 19, 1957 to October 2, 1958.
Many suggested that Gluck's appointment to this post had more to do with his generous political contributions to the Republican campaign of 1956 than any political or diplomatic qualifications. Hofstadter supports this suggestion with an excerpt of questions raised by Senator Fulbright about his qualifications:
FULBRIGHT: What are the problems in Ceylon [Sri Lanka] you think you can deal with?
GLUCK: One of the problems are the people there. I believe I can - I think I can establish, unless we - again, unless I run into something that I have not run into before–a good relationship and good feeling toward the United States...
FULBRIGHT: Do you know our Ambassador to India?
GLUCK: I know John Sherman Cooper, the previous Ambassador.
FULBRIGHT: Do you know who the Prime Minister of India is?
GLUCK: Yes, but I can't pronounce his name.
FULBRIGHT: Do you know who the Prime Minister of Ceylon is?
GLUCK: His name is unfamiliar now, I cannot call it off.
Hofstadter also notes that Gluck resigned from his post about a year after his appointment.
Equestrianism
In 1952, he purchased Elmendorf Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, where he bred thoroughbreds. He was the 1973 recipient of the P. A. B. Widener Award and the 1977 recipient of the Eclipse Award; both awards recognized him as the best horsebreeder in the United States.
In 1983, he donated US$3 million to the University of Kentucky for the establishment of an equine research center.
Personal life
He married Muriel (Schlesinger) Gluck in 1948. They resided in Lexington and in Los Angeles, California. He was a large donor to the Republican Party and art collector.
Death
He died of heart failure on November 21, 1984 at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.