Mark Taper
Encyclopedia
S. Mark Taper (December 25, 1902 - December 16, 1994) was a real estate developer, financier and philanthropist
in Southern California
. His 1962 gift to the Los Angeles Music Center
resulted in the Mark Taper Forum
being named for him in 1967.
Mr. Taper used “Sydney” as his first name because that was the name of his brother, who died in his twenties in New York.
Mr. Taper was born in Poland
, moving to England at a year old, where he opened five shoe stores. In 1929, he began successfully investing in real estate and by the late 1930s, had retired and moved his family to Long Beach, California
, becoming an American citizen.
During Southern California's postwar housing boom, Mr. Taper founded Biltmore Homes and began building suburban housing for returning soldiers in Long Beach
, Norwalk
, Compton
and Lakewood
. In all, he built 35,000 houses for low and middle-income people as part of some of the largest housing projects in the U.S. Mr. Taper also founded the First Charter Financial Corporation of Beverly Hills.
Mr. Taper financed the first gallery for modern works at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
as a memorial to his wife, Amelia, who died in 1958, and was a major donor to the University of California at Los Angeles.
Mark and Amelia Taper devoted much of their time to transporting hundreds of Catholic
and Jewish children out of Nazi Germany
. The S. Mark Taper Foundation was established in 1952 as a family foundation, and remains active in philanthropic giving, including funding the S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and the S. Mark Taper Foundation Forum at Benaroya Hall
in Seattle.
As part of the 2007-2008 renovations, the auditorium of the Mark Taper Forum will be named the Amelia Taper Auditorium after a $2 million gift from the S. Mark Taper Foundation.
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...
in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. His 1962 gift to the Los Angeles Music Center
Los Angeles Music Center
The Music Center is one of the three largest performing arts centers in the nation. Located in downtown Los Angeles, the Music Center is home to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theater, Mark Taper Forum and Walt Disney Concert Hall...
resulted in the Mark Taper Forum
Mark Taper Forum
The Mark Taper Forum is a 739 seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center built by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of downtown Los Angeles...
being named for him in 1967.
Mr. Taper used “Sydney” as his first name because that was the name of his brother, who died in his twenties in New York.
Mr. Taper was born in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, moving to England at a year old, where he opened five shoe stores. In 1929, he began successfully investing in real estate and by the late 1930s, had retired and moved his family to Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, becoming an American citizen.
During Southern California's postwar housing boom, Mr. Taper founded Biltmore Homes and began building suburban housing for returning soldiers in Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, Norwalk
Norwalk, California
Norwalk is a suburban city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 105,549 at the 2010 census, up from 103,298 at the 2000 census, making it the 58th most populous city in California and the 255th nationally....
, Compton
Compton
-Canada:* Compton, Quebec* Compton County, Quebec* Compton , a former Quebec provincial electoral district now part of Mégantic-Compton* Compton , a former Quebec federal electoral district-England:...
and Lakewood
Lakewood, California
Lakewood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 80,048 at the 2010 census. It is bordered by Long Beach on the west and south, Bellflower on the north, Cerritos on the northeast, Cypress on the east, and Hawaiian Gardens on the southeast. Major thoroughfares...
. In all, he built 35,000 houses for low and middle-income people as part of some of the largest housing projects in the U.S. Mr. Taper also founded the First Charter Financial Corporation of Beverly Hills.
Mr. Taper financed the first gallery for modern works at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is an art museum in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles, adjacent to the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits....
as a memorial to his wife, Amelia, who died in 1958, and was a major donor to the University of California at Los Angeles.
Mark and Amelia Taper devoted much of their time to transporting hundreds of Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and Jewish children out of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. The S. Mark Taper Foundation was established in 1952 as a family foundation, and remains active in philanthropic giving, including funding the S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and the S. Mark Taper Foundation Forum at Benaroya Hall
Benaroya Hall
Benaroya Hall is the home of the Seattle Symphony in Downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. It features two auditoria, the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium, a 2500-seat performance venue, as well as the Nordstrom Recital Hall, which seats roughly 500...
in Seattle.
As part of the 2007-2008 renovations, the auditorium of the Mark Taper Forum will be named the Amelia Taper Auditorium after a $2 million gift from the S. Mark Taper Foundation.