Herbert Irving
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Herbert Irving | |
|---|---|
 A skybridge banner celebrating the renaming of New-York Presbyterian Columbia in his honor in 2016. | |
| Born | November 5, 1917 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | October 3, 2016 (aged 98) New York City, U.S. |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA, MBA) |
| Occupations | Businessman, philanthropist |
| Known for | Co-founding Sysco Namesake of Columbia University Irving Medical Center |
Herbert Irving (November 5, 1917 – October 3, 2016) was an American businessman, philanthropist, and art collector. He co-founded Sysco, the world's largest food distributor, and was known for his contributions to the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia University Irving Medical Center.[1]
Irving was born on November 5, 1917, in Brooklyn. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He served with the United States Army in Europe during World War II and took part in the landing of Normandy.[1]
He started his career in the frozen foods business by co-founding Global Frozen Foods with a brother-in-law. He founded Sysco in 1969 with John F. Baugh and Harry Rosenthal and served as the company's vice chairman and chair of the finance committee.[2] He stepped down as vice chairman of Sysco's board in 1992 and remained a director until 1994.[1]