Background
Shorenstein, Walter Herbert was born on February 23, 1915 in Glen Cove, New York, United States.
chairman founder real estate broker
Shorenstein, Walter Herbert was born on February 23, 1915 in Glen Cove, New York, United States.
Student, Pennsylvania State University, 1934. Student, University Pennsylvania, 1936. Doctor in Economics (honorary), HanYang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 1988.
His company, Shorenstein Company, owned 130 buildings totaling at least 28,000,000 square feet (2,600,000 m2) of office space at the time of his death. In 1941, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. Upon his discharge from the Air Force, Shorenstein moved to San Francisco with savings of $1,000.
He and others attributed his success in business to "street smarts".
In 1993, Shorenstein helped an investor group purchase the San Francisco Giants baseball team thus preventing the franchise from moving to Florida. Shorenstein became active politically and was a significant fundraiser for the Democratic Party.
He was a major donor to civic and charitable causes, as well as higher education. He was prominent in the Jewish-American political and philanthropic community.
He also endowed the Shorenstein Forum for Asia Pacific Studies at Stanford University.
In 1993, he and Mikhail Gorbachev established the Gorbachev Foundation in San Francisco. In 1945, Shorenstein married Phyllis Finley of Wellington, Kansas. They had three children: Carole Shorenstein Hays (born 1948), a Broadway producer with whom he established three major theaters in San Francisco: the Orpheum, the Curran and the Golden Gate.
Douglas West. Shorenstein (born 1955) is chairman and chief executive of The Shorenstein Company.
In 2010, he was appointed Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Board of Directors.
Past chairman board trustees Hastings Law Center, University California, San Francisco. Founding member executive advisory committee Hubert H. Humphrey Institute Public Affairs, University Minnesota. Board visitors; past president, honorary life board directors San Francisco Park and Recreation Commission.
Chairman Vietnam Orphans Airlift. Board directors San Francisco Performing Arts Center. Trustee Asia Foundation.
Finance chairman Democratic National Convention, 1984. Founder Joan Shorenstein Center on Press, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard University, 1986. Appointed by President Clinton to National Service Commission, 1994, Board of Americorp, founding member World War II National Monument committee, National Endowment Arts, White House Endowment Fund.
Appointed by President Carter chair White House Preservation Fund. Appointed by Mayor Frank Jordon chair Save the San Francisco Giants committee. Personal advisor President Johnson, Carter, Clinton.
Chairman Pacific Rim Economic Council, San Francisco. Board visitors International Studies Board Stanford University. Co-founder Orpheum, Curran and Golden Gate Theatres, San Francsico.
Founder Johnson Presidential Library., Carter Center. Chairman San Francisco University N50 national committee, 1995, also numerous political activities. Major United States Air Force, 1940-1945.
Member California City of C. (past board directors), San San Francisco Chamber of C. (past chairman board directors, life board directors).
Married Phyllis J. Finley, August 8, 1945 (deceased 1994). Children: Joan (deceased 1985), Carole, Douglas.