Helene L. Kaplan
Helene Lois Kaplan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1933 |
| Died | 2023-01-30 |
| Alma mater | Barnard College (1953), New York University School of Law (1967) |
| Occupation(s) | Attorney, nonprofit leader |
| Years active | 1967–2012 |
| Known for | First person to be appointed Chairman of the Carnegie Corporation of New York twice; counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom |
| Spouse | Mark N. Kaplan |
Helene Lois Kaplan (1933 – January 30, 2023) was a distinguished American attorney and leader in the nonprofit sector. She held the position of of counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and made history as the first individual to be appointed Chairman of the Carnegie Corporation of New York on two separate occasions.
Biography
Born Helene Lois Finklestein, Kaplan completed her undergraduate studies at Barnard College in 1953 and earned her law degree from New York University School of Law in 1967. During her time at Barnard, she was mentored by sociologist Mirra Komarovsky.
Prior to joining Skadden in 1990, Kaplan was a partner at Webster & Sheffield. She concluded her legal career in 2012.
Kaplan became a board member of the Carnegie Corporation in 1980, serving as its chair from 1985 to 1990 and again from 2002 until she stepped down in 2007. Additionally, she held the role of vice-chair twice and was honored as one of two honorary trustees alongside Newton N. Minow.
Her leadership roles extended across numerous nonprofit organizations, including trustee and board chair positions at Barnard College, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the New York Foundation, and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. She also contributed as a director for the Council on Foreign Relations, served as trustee for the American Museum of Natural History and the Mitre Corporation, and held trustee emeritus status with the Institute for Advanced Study, The Commonwealth Fund, and the J. Paul Getty Trust. In recognition of her achievements, she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1990.
Kaplan's expertise was also sought after by major corporations, where she served on boards including ExxonMobil, MetLife, The May Department Stores Company, JPMorgan Chase (and its predecessor Chemical Bank), as well as Verizon Communications.
Between 1986 and 1990, she provided counsel to the U.S. Secretary of State concerning policy matters related to South Africa.
Her accolades include honorary degrees awarded by Columbia University in 1990 and Mount Sinai in 2001. In 1988, she was among the inaugural women admitted to the esteemed Century Association, joining ranks with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Brooke Astor.
Personal life and family
Kaplan was married to fellow Skadden attorney Mark N. Kaplan and was a mother to two children.[1][2][3]