Gerald Lestz
Encyclopedia
Gerald S. Lestz was an American
newspaper columnist
, author
, activist, philanthropist
and publisher. Lestz is credited with leading the efforts to found the Demuth Museum
at the childhood home of artist Charles Demuth
on East King Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
.
Lestz graduated from the now defunct Lancaster Boys High School in 1931. He earned his bachelor's degree
in merchandising
from the Wharton School
of the University of Pennsylvania
in 1935.
His first job after college was at the upstart Lancaster Independent weekly newspaper. Lestz was hired to write the names of subscribers in circulation books for a starting salary
of $15 dollars per week. The now defunct newspaper's editor, Willim N. Yonung, later promoted Lestz to a reporter.
Gerry Lestz enlisted in the United States Army Air Force during World War II
. He met his first wife, Edith Allport Lestz, during the war years. The couple moved to Lancaster following World War II and had two children. Edith Allport Lestz died in 1957. Lestz later married his second wife, Margaret Gordon Dana, an artist, who died in 2006.
s, columns
and editorials. On December 17, 1957, began writing The Scribbler column, a regular piece on Lancaster's history which had appeared in the Lancaster New Era since 1919 (with the exception of a period during World War II). Lestz continued to write The Scribbler twice a week, every week, until his retirement from the newspaper in 1979. Following Lestz's retirement, The Scribbler was taken over by Jack Brubaker, who continues to write the now weekly column as of 2011.
institutions in Lancaster. For example, Lestz co-founded the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County.
Most notably, Lestz led the campaign to establish the Demuth Museum
at the restored childhood home of Charles Demuth
, Lancaster's most famous native artist
. The museum was known as the Charles Demuth Foundation at the time of its establishment in 1981. Lestz served as the Demuth Foundation's president for museum's first three years. Under Lestz, the Demuth Foundation acquired the Charles Demuth home on East King Street, which became the museum. Lestz and the Foundation also purchased the property next door to the future Demuth Museum
from Dorothea and Christopher Demuth. That second property houses the oldest continually operating tobacco shop in the United States
. Both structures were converted into a museum by the Foundation which houses works by Charles Demuth as well as the tobacco shop.
Carol Morgan, who became the director of the Charles Demuth Foundation in 1985, noted Lestz's contributions the museum and foundation after examining Lestz records, "I was absolutely stunned at the amount of personal work, planning and bureaucratic threading he went through to get that thing launched."
Lestz also helped to found the Heritage Center of Lancaster County, and served as the organizations president. He also served as the president of the Lancaster Summer Arts Festival, the Lancaster Public Library, Lancaster Community Concert Association, as well as the state president for the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen.
, architecture
, the Amish
community, folklore
and art
. He published and edited the Baer's Almanac from 1948 until 2008. The Baer's Almanac is a Lancaster County publication founded in 1825.
From 1986 to 2002, he was publisher of The Strasburg Weekly News, a small newspaper founded in 1898, and continued to contribute a weekly column to the paper until his death.
, on September 15, 2009, at the age of 95. He was survived by his son, Michael Elliot Lestz, daughter, Linda Lestz Weidman; stepson, Robert Gordon Dana; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
newspaper columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, activist, philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
and publisher. Lestz is credited with leading the efforts to found the Demuth Museum
Demuth Museum
Demuth Museum in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, is a museum of paintings by Charles Demuth located in his former studio and home.The museum offers a rotating view of a permanent collection which includes 27 Charles Demuth originals as well as artists and works that present a Demuth connection in...
at the childhood home of artist Charles Demuth
Charles Demuth
Charles Demuth was an American watercolorist who turned to oils late in his career, developing a style of painting known as Precisionism....
on East King Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
.
Early life
Lestz, the first child of immigrant parents, Jacob and Fannie Simon Lestz, was born on March 29, 1914, at their home at 511 South Shippen Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.Lestz graduated from the now defunct Lancaster Boys High School in 1931. He earned his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in merchandising
Merchandising
Merchandising is the methods, practices, and operations used to promote and sustain certain categories of commercial activity. In the broadest sense, merchandising is any practice which contributes to the sale of products to a retail consumer...
from the Wharton School
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
The Wharton School is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Wharton was the world’s first collegiate business school and the first business school in the United States...
of the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1935.
His first job after college was at the upstart Lancaster Independent weekly newspaper. Lestz was hired to write the names of subscribers in circulation books for a starting salary
Salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
of $15 dollars per week. The now defunct newspaper's editor, Willim N. Yonung, later promoted Lestz to a reporter.
Gerry Lestz enlisted in the United States Army Air Force during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He met his first wife, Edith Allport Lestz, during the war years. The couple moved to Lancaster following World War II and had two children. Edith Allport Lestz died in 1957. Lestz later married his second wife, Margaret Gordon Dana, an artist, who died in 2006.
Career
Lestz returned to his native Lancaster after World War II, where he began writing for the Lancaster New Era newspaper. Lestz would remain on staff at the Lancaster New Era for more than thirty years, focusing on feature articleFeature article
* For general information "articles", see Article * For the term used in specific, see Article * For the concept of "feature stories," made the primary focus of a issue for in-depth investigation, see feature story...
s, columns
Column (newspaper)
A column is a recurring piece or article in a newspaper, magazine or other publication. Columns are written by columnists.What differentiates a column from other forms of journalism is that it meets each of the following criteria:...
and editorials. On December 17, 1957, began writing The Scribbler column, a regular piece on Lancaster's history which had appeared in the Lancaster New Era since 1919 (with the exception of a period during World War II). Lestz continued to write The Scribbler twice a week, every week, until his retirement from the newspaper in 1979. Following Lestz's retirement, The Scribbler was taken over by Jack Brubaker, who continues to write the now weekly column as of 2011.
Civic involvement
Lestz also headed efforts to establish several cultural and civicCivic engagement
Civic engagement or civic participation has been defined as "Individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern."-Forms:...
institutions in Lancaster. For example, Lestz co-founded the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County.
Most notably, Lestz led the campaign to establish the Demuth Museum
Demuth Museum
Demuth Museum in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, is a museum of paintings by Charles Demuth located in his former studio and home.The museum offers a rotating view of a permanent collection which includes 27 Charles Demuth originals as well as artists and works that present a Demuth connection in...
at the restored childhood home of Charles Demuth
Charles Demuth
Charles Demuth was an American watercolorist who turned to oils late in his career, developing a style of painting known as Precisionism....
, Lancaster's most famous native artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
. The museum was known as the Charles Demuth Foundation at the time of its establishment in 1981. Lestz served as the Demuth Foundation's president for museum's first three years. Under Lestz, the Demuth Foundation acquired the Charles Demuth home on East King Street, which became the museum. Lestz and the Foundation also purchased the property next door to the future Demuth Museum
Demuth Museum
Demuth Museum in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, is a museum of paintings by Charles Demuth located in his former studio and home.The museum offers a rotating view of a permanent collection which includes 27 Charles Demuth originals as well as artists and works that present a Demuth connection in...
from Dorothea and Christopher Demuth. That second property houses the oldest continually operating tobacco shop in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Both structures were converted into a museum by the Foundation which houses works by Charles Demuth as well as the tobacco shop.
Carol Morgan, who became the director of the Charles Demuth Foundation in 1985, noted Lestz's contributions the museum and foundation after examining Lestz records, "I was absolutely stunned at the amount of personal work, planning and bureaucratic threading he went through to get that thing launched."
Lestz also helped to found the Heritage Center of Lancaster County, and served as the organizations president. He also served as the president of the Lancaster Summer Arts Festival, the Lancaster Public Library, Lancaster Community Concert Association, as well as the state president for the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen.
Writings
Lestz also published dozens of books and pamphlets on a variety of topics related to historyHistory
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, the Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
community, folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
and art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
. He published and edited the Baer's Almanac from 1948 until 2008. The Baer's Almanac is a Lancaster County publication founded in 1825.
From 1986 to 2002, he was publisher of The Strasburg Weekly News, a small newspaper founded in 1898, and continued to contribute a weekly column to the paper until his death.
Death
Gerry Lestz died at his home on Conestoga Drive in Lancaster Township, PennsylvaniaLancaster Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster Township is a civil township of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is in the central area and it immediately surrounds Lancaster City...
, on September 15, 2009, at the age of 95. He was survived by his son, Michael Elliot Lestz, daughter, Linda Lestz Weidman; stepson, Robert Gordon Dana; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.