A legacy in harmony
Richman family expands support to CWRU by endowing professorship in Popular Music Studies
James S. “Great Neck” Richman (ADL ’72) fondly recalls seeing artists such as Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison perform in Cleveland when he was a Case Western Reserve University student in the late 1960s and early ’70s. These concerts only reinforced his burgeoning love of music that began when he was in a high school band.
“Music has long been an extremely important part of my life,” said Richman, who serves on CWRU’s Board of Trustees. “It’s amazing how one song can mean so many things to so many different listeners—and still be one of the few mediums today that manages to bring people together from all walks of life.”
As a testament to that passion, the Richman family has committed $2 million to endow The Great Neck and Elissa Richman Professorship in Popular Music Studies at Case Western Reserve’s College of Arts and Sciences.
“Well beyond Great Neck’s dedicated service on our Board of Trustees, he and his wife, Elissa, are wonderful friends of the university,” CWRU President Eric W. Kaler said. “This generous gift will provide critical funding for the recruiting and hiring of talented faculty whose expertise enhances our ability to attract the best and brightest students.”
Great Neck Richman is president and CEO of Richloom Fabrics Group, a textile converter, designer and distributor of home furnishing fabrics in New York City, with a subsidiary in Shanghai.
“We firmly believe that strengthening the university’s liberal arts curriculum will only help our status as a world-class research institution.”
— James “Great Neck” Richman
Longtime supporters of Case Western Reserve and of music in general, the Richmans and the Richman Family Foundation have made several previous gifts that include:
- Establishing the Richman Fund for Popular Music Studies in 2016 to strengthen popular music studies on campus.
- Endowing a scholarship to support students in the college.
- Supporting the creation of CWRU’s Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center at The Temple–Tifereth Israel.
- Contributing as a founding funder of the Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“My father started our family foundation and demonstrated the importance of giving back,” Great Neck Richman said. “I have been greatly impressed by the dedication Eric [Kaler], Provost Joy Ward and Center for Popular Music Studies Director Daniel Goldmark have shown to the university community, and Elissa and I are honored to continue our family’s support for Case Western Reserve. We firmly believe that strengthening the university’s liberal arts curriculum will only help our status as a world-class research institution.”
