Percy Uris | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 19, 1899 |
| Died | November 20, 1971(1971-11-20) (aged 72) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | B.S.Columbia Business School |
| Occupation | real estate developer |
| Known for | co-founder ofUris Buildings Corporation |
| Parent(s) | Stacey Copland Harris Uris |
| Family | Harold Uris (brother) Mattie Freeman (Sister)[1] |
Percy Uris (August 19, 1899 – November 20, 1971) was an American real estate entrepreneur and philanthropist[2] who co-founded with his brotherHarold Uris, theUris Buildings Corporation.
Uris was born to aJewish family, the son of Sadie (née Copland) and Harris Uris, an immigrant fromRussia and founder of an ornamentalironwork factory.[1][3][4] After earning a B.S. fromColumbia Business School in 1920,[1][5] Percy joined his brother, Harold, and their father in developing residential real estate. After WWII, the brothers focused on commercial development, with Harold handling the construction and Percy the financial aspects.[2] Claiming to be the largest private developers in New York City, the Uris Brothers primarily usedarchitectEmery Roth.[6] In 1960, they created Uris Buildings Corp. as a real estate investment company.[3][7] One of the last buildings the brothers built together was theUris Building housing theUris Theater.[8] Soon after Percy's death in 1971, Harold sold the corporation toKinney National Company for $115 million,[2] but the assets were soon foreclosed in NY's real estate recession.[2]
In 1956, the brothers created the Uris Brothers Foundation donating generously to Cornell, Columbia, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A social sciences building built in 1972 was named for Uris and his brother Harold.[9] In 1962, the main University Library building was renamed Uris Library. In 1998, the Uris Brothers Foundation was dissolved after donating all its remaining assets: $10 million to theMetropolitan Museum of Art, $10 million to theCentral Park Conservancy, $3 million to theNew York Public Library, $3 million toThirteen/WNET, $2.5 million toCarnegie Hall, and $1.5 million to theNew School for Social Research.[10]
Uris was married and had two daughters: Mrs. Allan Levitt and Mrs. Peter Krulewitch.[1] He died on November 20, 1971, inPalm Beach, Florida.[1]
The Jewish immigrants arriving in New York at that time included the Tishmans, Rudins, Roses, Milsteins, Dursts and Urises.