Trustee For A City: Ralph Lowell of Boston

Book by Gelfand, Mark I.

During his first 50 years, Boston businessman Ralph Lowell (1890-1978) led a rather conventional life as a member of Boston's Brahmin elite. A banker in the 1920s, he played a significant role after World War II in the modernization of many of the city's most important institutions. He was also a force in the economic revival of Boston itself. But Lowell's most important contribution was his central role in developing WGBH, Boston's public television station. Among the many other institutions where he provided leadership were the Museum of Fine Arts, Massachusetts General Hospital, and his alma mater, Harvard University. Gelfand (history, Boston Coll.) sees Lowell's biography as a means of exploring continuity and change in Boston during this century. This well-written book will prove valuable to scholars studying the dynamics of the postwar urban elite or to readers interested in American philanthropy, but its greatest appeal will be to those interested in the history of Boston.AThomas McMullin, Univ. of Massachusetts, Boston
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