Notable Alumni and Milestones
The roster of illustrious Franklin alumni from the earliest days includes prominent leaders in their field:
In the Halls of Government as Presidential Advisors
- Walter Lippmann, journalist, philosopher, and WWI advisor to President Woodrow Wilson
- Henry Morgenthau, Jr., Secretary of the U.S. Treasury and New Deal advisor to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
- Herbert Henry Lehman, Governor of New York State and U.S. Senator; Herbert was also a leading financier and partner at Lehman Brothers
In the Business World as Retail Magnates
- Brothers Percy, Jesse, and Herbert Straus, who inherited R.H. Macy & Co. and transformed it into the retail giant, Macy’s Department Store; Jesse was later appointed U.S. Ambassador to France by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
- William Saks and Louis Gimbel, both of leading retailing families, who merged in business to reach even greater heights with Gimbel’s Department Store and Saks Fifth Avenue
In the Arts as Luminaries
- Roy Lichtenstein, innovative painter, printmaker, and leader of the Pop Art movement
- Truman Capote, iconic author of literary classics, screenwriter, and playwright
- Hal Prince, the most celebrated producer and director in Broadway history with a record-breaking 21 Tony Awards