James Crown

James Crown, a prominent Chicago-born philanthropist and community leader, died on June 25 in Colorado.

His sudden death drew immediate condolences from Chicago’s Jewish leaders as well as President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and others.

Crown headed his family’s investment firm Henry Crown and Company, which is named after his grandfather. He also served on the boards of JPMorgan and General Dynamics, and was a former chairman at Sara Lee.

Crown served on the JUF Board from 1988 to 1997, including two years as treasurer, and chaired its Finance and Resource Development Policy committees.

“Jim was the consummate mensch, who cared deeply about people and our Jewish community,” said JUF President Lonnie Nasatir. “He made a powerful impact on the Chicago Jewish community, but also on the broader Chicago community and worldwide.”

Part of a cornerstone family in Chicago philanthropy, Crown was the son of longtime community and business leader Lester Crown; brother of current JUF Board member Sara Crown Star; and cousin of both current board member Jordan Goodman and JUF staff member Lily Goodman. The Crown & Goodman family are Golden Giver donors to JUF’s Annual Campaign, with gifts made for 50 consecutive years.

Beyond JUF, Crown served on the family’s foundation and was active in the family’s charitable efforts, both within and outside the Jewish community. Lester Crown called his son “the leader of our family both intellectually and emotionally” in a June 26 interview in the Chicago Sun-Times.

He led the public safety task force of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, chaired the Board of Trustees of the University of Chicago for six years, and served in leadership roles at a variety of companies and institutions. He was also chairman of The Aspen Institute. A leading philanthropist in Chicago, Crown had recently launched a fight, by local business leaders, against violent crime in the city.

Crown was also passionate about Israel and science, sometimes both at once. A dedicated patron of brain research, he was a supporter of his family’s gift toward the construction of the Suzanne and Charles Goodman Brain Sciences Building at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He also collected Albert Einstein’s manuscripts, and facilitated the acquisition of historic documents to the University, which Einstein helped found. Crown and his family have been longtime supporters of Yad Vashem and many other Israeli institutions.

Born in 1953, Crown attended what is now New Trier High School, graduating in 1971. In 1976, he graduated Hampshire College with a degree in political science, followed by a law degree from Stanford University. He then found a job–and met his future wife, Paula–at Salomon Brothers, Inc. After their 1985 wedding, they settled in Chicago.

“I had the pleasure of getting to know Jim over the years, and when the pandemic broke, it was Jim who provided immeasurable support and guidance as he and his family helped stabilize our Jewish community,” Nasatir said. “He had deep roots within our organization, and we will miss his thoughtful insight and his many years of support.”

In a statement released following the death, President Biden said Crown represented “America at its best – industrious, big-hearted, and always looking out for each other. He was a good man, a dear friend, and a great American.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson, meanwhile, said, “With his generosity, Crown embodied the soul of Chicago.”

Crown was the husband of Paula, father of Torie, Hayley, W. Andrew, and Summer, and grandfather of Jackson and Lucas. He is also survived by his parents, Lester and Renée, and his siblings: Steve, Daniel, Patricia, Susan, Sara and Janet.