With $50,000 pledge, Draper and Kramer, Incorporated initiates MPC’s
Ferd Kramer and Laura Pollak Fisher Housing Fund
(Chicago) …..
The Metropolitan Planning Council is pleased to announce the creation of a
new housing fund, named to honor two siblings passionate about building a
better
Chicago: Ferd
Kramer, legendary chairman of the real estate development firm Draper and
Kramer, Incorporated, and his sister, Laura Pollak Fisher, both longtime members
of MPC’s Board of Governors.
Initiated by a generous
$50,000 gift from Draper and Kramer, The Ferd Kramer and Laura Pollak Fisher
Housing Fund is part of MPC’s
Bold Plans,
Bright Future
campaign for endowment and special program initiatives.
“At Draper and Kramer, we
believe firmly in supporting the fundamental mission that sparked the formation
of the Metropolitan Planning Council and inspired the lifelong dedication of
Ferd Kramer and Laura Pollak Fisher: improving housing options in Chicago
metropolitan region,” said Forrest D. Bailey, president of Draper and Kramer,
Incorporated, and member of MPC’s Housing Committee.
Laura joined MPC’s board in
1934, its inaugural year, and Ferd followed suit in 1937. Both helped set the
course for what has become one of the region’s most effective policy and
advocacy nonprofits. Ferd served as MPC president for nearly two decades, during
which time the Council helped revive the City Plan Commission; encouraged the
City to shift its slum-clearing strategy from demolition to code enforcement;
and urged the City toward more thoughtful, comprehensive planning.
“Ferd’s courageous work
in the development industry, and his and Laura’s lifelong commitment to
furthering MPC’s housing agenda truly set an example for future generations
of
Chicago
businesspeople,” said John A. Buck, chair of MPC’s Board of Governors, and chairman and CEO
of The John Buck Company. “It is imperative that our daily work is not
only building the city’s infrastructure, but also forging strong relationships
with other innovators to form the very fabric
of
Chicago.”
To honor Ferd
and Laura’s dedication to MPC and to celebrate the
Council’s50th
anniversary,
the siblings were voted Honorary Life Governors of MPC in 1983, a title Laura
still holds today and one that Ferd held until he passed away in July 2002.
Whether in his business or civic roles, Ferd’s firm
commitment to economic and racial integration never wavered. At a time when
blacks were being “redlined” from
many Chicago neighborhoods, Kramer earned
national recognition for developing nondiscriminatory, quality housing options for Chicagoans of
all races in communities throughout the city. Ferd also leveraged his
leadership
roles
at MPC and other civic organizations, such as
the United Negro College Fund, to support citywide initiatives to bridge the
racial divide.
Among Ferd’s most
important contributions to MPC was engaging the business community. By
sparking relationships between the Council and many
of
Chicago’s most influential developers, Ferd not
only broadened MPC’s scope, but he also brought the discipline of professional
planning to the real estate industry. Today, one of the Council’s true hallmarks
is its ability to create unlikely partnerships across disciplines, resulting in
innovative solutions to some of the region’s most vexing problems.
“Among the accomplishments
in my life of which I am the most proud, many relate directly to my longtime
involvement with the Metropolitan Planning Council,” said John W. Baird,
chairman of Baird and Warner, Inc., and a member of MPC’s Board of Governors for
more than 50 years. “Through the Council, I have forged friendships that have
led to business partnerships with some of the city’s most inspiring men and
women, including Ferd Kramer.”
For more information about
the Ferd Kramer and Laura Pollak Fisher Housing Fund, contact MPC’s Development
Director Ann Armstrong at 312.863.6010.