Donald Fisher

Donald Fisher
Donald Fisher
Born	3 September 1928 (age 98); San Francisco, California, U.S.
Died	27 September 2009 (aged 81); San Francisco, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, philanthropist
Known for	Co-founder of Gap Inc.

Donald George Fisher (September 3, 1928 – September 27, 2009) was an American billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist. Alongside his wife Doris F. Fisher, he co-established the Gap Inc..

Early life and education

Born in San Francisco, California, Fisher was the eldest of three sons in a Jewish household. His parents were Aileen Fisher (née Emanuel) and Sydney Fisher, who worked as a cabinetmaker. He was raised in San Francisco’s middle-class Sea Cliff area.

In 1951, Fisher obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of California, Berkeley, where he belonged to the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Following graduation, he served as an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve and was employed at his father’s cabinet-making firm, L. & E. Emanuel Incorporated.

During the 1960s, Fisher ventured into hotel renovations, acquiring the Capitol Park Hotel in Sacramento and leasing retail space to Levi Strauss & Co.. Motivated by a store manager’s concept for a "Wall of Levi's" that offered numerous sizes, he identified a promising market niche in apparel retail. When collaboration efforts with Levi Strauss did not succeed, he and his wife launched their inaugural store featuring a wide range of jeans sizes under the name The Gap, targeting the "Generation Gap." The store also retailed music in the form of records and tapes aimed at customers aged 12 to 25.

The Gap brand debuted in 1972 and rapidly gained traction, culminating in an IPO the following year. The Fishers expanded their enterprise by acquiring Banana Republic and establishing Old Navy, which achieved $1 billion in revenue within four years. Fisher held the CEO position until 1995, served as chairman until 2004, and retained the title of chairman emeritus until his passing.

By 1999, Forbes magazine valued Fisher’s net worth at approximately US$4.3 billion.

Appointed by the U.S. President, Fisher was an inaugural Board Member of the Presidio Trust, a public agency responsible for managing the Presidio of San Francisco. He married Doris Feigenbaum in 1953; their three sons continue overseeing the family business.

Additionally, he held a non-executive director role at Vodafone from 1999 through 2000.

Philanthropy

Fisher was deeply committed to advancing public education, notably serving as chairman of the board for the KIPP Foundation, which administers a nationwide network of high-performing charter schools serving underprivileged communities. His philanthropic efforts also extended to organizations such as Teach For America, GreatSchools.net, and EdVoice—a California-based coalition advocating for education reform. Furthermore, he contributed his expertise as a member of the California State Board of Education.

A dedicated supporter of his alma mater, the University of California, Berkeley, Fisher endowed both the Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics and the Fisher Center for Business Analytics at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. He contributed to campus infrastructure projects and athletic programs; Haas’ Fisher Gate commemorates him and his wife. In recognition of his contributions, he was honored as Haas Alumnus of the Year in 1986 and later received Berkeley's California Alumni Association Alumnus of the Year award in 2007.

In 2006, Fisher and his family made a substantial gift to Princeton University; consequently, Fisher Hall at Princeton’s Whitman College bears his name. His philanthropy also supported San Francisco charter schools, cultural institutions including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and public art installations. Moreover, he was an active benefactor to several Bay Area Jewish organizations such as the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco and the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund.

Art collection

From the inception of Gap in 1969, Fisher and his wife Doris began amassing a significant collection of modern Western artworks. In 1993, ARTnews recognized Fisher as one of the globe’s top ten art collectors. The majority of his collection, displayed primarily at Gap’s San Francisco headquarters, includes comprehensive pieces from artists such as Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder, Roy Lichtenstein, Ellsworth Kelly, Gerhard Richter, Anselm Kiefer, Chuck Close, and the duo Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.

On August 8, 2007, Fisher revealed intentions to establish a museum within the San Francisco Presidio, provisionally named the Contemporary Art Museum of the Presidio, intended to exhibit his art holdings. This institution would have been larger than the existing San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA). Nevertheless, the initiative encountered resistance and concerns from advocates of historic preservation.

By July 2009, Fisher and his wife discontinued their plans for the Presidio museum, expressing their intention to seek alternative venues for their collection. Subsequently, in September 2009, they formed a collaboration with SFMOMA to present their artworks.

Awards and honors

Inductee of Philanthropy Hall of Fame
1991: Recipient of the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement
2011: Honored in the California Hall of Fame

Death

Fisher passed away from cancer at his residence on Sunday morning, September 27, 2009, just one day following the announcement of the partnership with SFMOMA.

External links

Official GAP Website
Don Fisher obituary from Daily Telegraph
Biography of Don Fisher at Gap Inc.
KIPP Foundation