Bernard Osher
Bernard Osher | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1927 Biddeford, Maine, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, benefactor |
| Known for | Philanthropy, founding board member of World Savings, owner of Butterfield & Butterfield auction firm |
| Spouse | Barbro Sachs-Osher |
Bernard Osher (born 1927) is a prominent American entrepreneur and benefactor.
Early life and Education
Raised in a Jewish household in Biddeford, Maine, Osher completed his undergraduate studies at Bowdoin College, receiving a B.A. degree in 1948.
Career
Osher’s professional journey started with overseeing his family’s hardware business in Biddeford. He later worked at Oppenheimer & Company in New York before relocating to California, where he played a pivotal role as a founding board member of World Savings. This institution expanded to become the second largest savings entity in the United States and eventually merged with Wachovia Corporation. As a passionate collector of art, Osher purchased the auction firm Butterfield & Butterfield, elevating it to the position of the fourth-largest auction house worldwide prior to its acquisition by eBay in 1999.
In 2005, Forbes placed him at number 584 on their list of the wealthiest individuals globally, with a ranking of 746 in 2006. The publication Businessweek recognized him in 2007 as the 11th most generous philanthropist, highlighting his donations totaling $805 million aimed at supporting arts, education, and community services.
Philanthropy
Since establishing the Bernard Osher Foundation in 1977, Osher has been widely acknowledged for his substantial philanthropic efforts focusing on higher education and cultural initiatives, earning him the title "the quiet philanthropist." Since 2001, the Foundation has sponsored more than 120 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes across colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Approximately 80% of the Foundation’s funding is allocated to educational endeavors, while about 17% benefits arts-related organizations. Notable programs include scholarships offered via the Osher Fellows Program and the Osher Reentry Scholarship Program, which assists students aged 25 to 50. The Foundation also supports lifelong learning initiatives, integrative medicine, and arts education primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area and Maine. To date, it has granted $70 million in scholarships to students attending California community colleges and contributed $16 million toward the University of California, Berkeley’s Incentive Awards Program designed for low-income students.
In 2006, the Foundation made a landmark donation of $723.2 million to establish lifelong learning programs nationwide. This generosity ranked Osher as the third most magnanimous donor according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Without direct heirs, Osher intends to distribute his entire wealth through philanthropic channels aimed at improving lives across multiple generations.
Personal life
Osher is married to Barbro Sachs-Osher. His sister was the late Marion Sandler.
Awards
He was honored with an honorary doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University in 2017 and received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from University of Massachusetts Boston in 2015.