Barry Weintrob (’60)

SAF Trustee Emeritus, June 2016

 

After almost 60 years of service to our organization, Barry Weintrob (’60) retired from Student Agencies in June 2016.  Student Agencies is 122 years old, and for almost half of our organization’s existence, Barry was there to lead, support and guide us through good times and very tough times. 

 

Barry was President of SAI from 1959-1960. During this time, SAI was in strong financial shape. However, by the end of the 1960s, SAI came very close to shutting down. In 1968, the SAI Laundromat (SAI’s main business at the time) had closed, there were no tenants in the 409 College Ave apartments, and the SAI office was shuttered and in disarray. Ed Clements (’63), after finishing his M.B.A. studies and learning of SAI’s critical situation, came back to Ithaca to help “restart” SAI.  Barry and Fred Cumming (‘55) became co-chairs of SAI and took turns visiting Ithaca once per month to help Ed rebuild SAI.  Through the efforts of Ed, Barry and Fred, SAI was put back on solid footing.

 

Beginning in the early 1970s and going into the 1980s, Barry, as Chairman of SAI and President of SAF, set Student Agencies on a path that would completely reshape and solidify its financial future. In the early 1970s, Barry and Ed led Student Agencies to purchase 411 College Avenue. Then in 1975, Student Agencies purchased 413-415 College Avenue. In the late 1980s, Student Agencies redeveloped its building at 409 College Avenue, substantially expanding its square footage.  These real estate investments represent the Foundation’s endowment and have created a stream of reliable rental income that has allowed Student Agencies to provide financial support to help thousands of Cornell students over the past decades.

 

Those of us who worked at SAI since the mid-1960s or were part of the eLab reaped the extraordinary benefits and experience that those organizations were able to provide on the back of Barry’s shoulders.  In recognition of Barry’s service, the Foundation Trustees elected Barry as an emeritus member of the SAF Board of Trustees.