Had you grown up in the New York metropolitan area some forty-plus years ago, you would remember Sy Syms. The commercials for his eponymous chain of off-price clothing stores ran on TV and radio night and day. According to Wikipedia: “At its height, the chain had 48 locations in thirteen states. On November 2, 2011, Syms Corp., and its subsidiary Filene’s Basement, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after more than a half a century in the clothing business.” Not a bad run at all.
But perhaps most impressive is Syms’ philanthropy. He used a good deal of the personal fortune he made selling clothes to found the non-profit Sy Syms Foundation, which has given away more than $30,000,000 toward education, as well as being a major supporter Public Broadcasting and National Public Radio (NPR).