New York — $28 million “Chess in the Schools” sponsor LEWIS B. CULLMAN “the desk calendar king” dies at 100 in Stamford, Connecticut … this just in from Robert D. McFadden of the New York Times (full page New York Times obituary June 8 ). The man who gave one million dollars a year since 1991 to New York’s “Chess In the Schools” died Friday June 7, 2019 in Stamford. Mr.. Cullman’s favorite charity was Chess in the Schools. It teaches chess to disadvantaged city students and offers tutoring, SAT preparation and college counseling. Founded in 1986 by Faneuil Adams Jr., a Mobil Oil executive, and Bruce Pandolfini (a chess teacher/master chess player … portrayed by Academy Award winning actor Ben Kingsley in legendary chess noir film “Searching For Bobby Fischer”) … the program had been supported by Mr. Cullman since 1991 with annual gifts of $1 million, and had reached tens of thousands of students. “Chess develops critical thinking” Mr. Cullman said. “It was the concept of using chess as an educational tool that appealed to me.” By all accounts Mr. Cullman watched his huge chess donations closely — allowed no tampering from manifestly do nothing pundits, “all talk and no cattle” chess officials, from coast to coast.
— Jude Acers