Gerard L. Cafesjian

Mr. Gerard L. Cafesjian, entrepreneur and philanthropist, was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA, in 1925. During World War II he was on active duty in the Atlantic on the destroyer escort USS Andres and in the South Pacific aboard the USS Oceanographer. Following his discharge from the United States Navy, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and then a law degree. In 1952 he began what would become a stellar career with West Publishing, the world’s foremost supplier of legal information, beginning in New York as a legal editor. In 1960, Mr. Cafesjian moved to Minnesota to take a position at West headquarters. He rose through the ranks, becoming head of advertising, then Vice President of Marketing, then adding the title of Vice President of Sales, Electronic Retrieval and Government Relations, and eventually Executive Vice President and member of the Board of Directors.

During his 44 years with West Publishing, Mr. Cafesjian helped the company grow from 2,000 to 6,500 employees. He also created and successfully ran West Art and the Law, a nationally recognized, juried annual art show, for which he was awarded the prestigious Business and the Arts Award, generally the domain of much larger corporations such as Phillip Morris. He sold his shareholder interest in West in June, 1996, when West Publishing was acquired by the Thomson Corporation, and he retired from West Publishing shortly after the sale. Mr. Cafesjian currently spends most of his time managing his personal investments and pursuing charitable interests.

Mr. Cafesjian’s philanthropic efforts are primarily focused on supporting Armenian causes. Armenian history is both proud and tragic, a powerful story of resilience and survival. The Genocide had a profound impact on Mr. Cafesjian and his family. As a child, he always wondered why he had no relatives. His father, Leon Cafesjian of Sivas, lost his parents and all of his brothers and sisters during the Genocide. When his father married his mother, Nora Tashjian from Constantinople, she had already been twice widowed.

In 1996, in honor of his heritage and reflecting his pride as an American of Armenian descent, Mr. Cafesjian founded the Cafesjian Family Foundation. Stated broadly, the mission of the Foundation is to promote the well-being of Armenians. The Cafesjian Family Foundation endeavors to support efforts of Armenians to move beyond the tragedy of the Genocide and continue in their role as significant contributors to the advancement of humankind. To date Mr. Cafesjian has contributed millions of dollars to the Cafesjian Family Foundation for the purpose of aiding Armenia and Armenian causes. “After taking care of the needs of my family, the bulk of my remaining estate will also be directed to the Foundation to support Armenian causes,” pledges Mr. Cafesjian.

Since its inception, the Cafesjian Family Foundation has made grants to several Armenian organizations. Recipients include: the Armenian Assembly of America, Inc., in support of Armenian advocacy; the Armenian General Benevolent Union, in support of the American University of Armenia, soup kitchens, and various other special projects; the Armenia Fund USA, Inc., in support of the Vanadzor School and the Nagorno-Karabakh North-South highway; and the Ani and Narod Memorial Fund, in support of vaccines for children and the Narod Network Project, a computer/internet based project linking Armenian students around the world.

The Cafesjian Family Foundation has also initiated Foundation-sponsored programs in Armenia with the goal of fostering jobs and sustainable economic activity for the development and implementation of programs in renewable energy, media, financial services, real-estate development, computer software, and telecommunications. Mr. Cafesjian has traveled to Armenia to meet with the President of Armenia, the President of Nagorno-Karabakh, and other senior government and community leaders to foster continued cooperation in building relationships between Armenia and the Diaspora.

“We have to concern ourselves with Armenia,” says Mr. Cafesjian, “They are holding on by a thread. It is our duty in the Diaspora to help them, to look out for them and to make sure that the ties between the U.S. and Armenia are strong. I am dedicating my resources to that end.”

In addition to his work through the Foundation, Mr. Cafesjian has provided support to numerous special projects, showing his many-faceted interests and mercurial mind. Among Mr. Cafesjian’s first projects was the preservation of the historic State Fair carousel in St. Paul, Minnesota. His leadership and a significant donation saved the carousel, which was already being dismantled, from being broken up and auctioned off. The carousel, now fully restored and newly housed, bears his name. Mr. Cafesjian also helped to finance the museum expansion of the Scottsdale, Arizona, Center for the Arts. The Gerard L. Cafesjian Pavilion at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art had its grand opening in February, 1999. Mr. Cafesjian has loaned to the museum works from his personal art collection, making it possible for thousands to view many rare glass pieces from around the world and to share in his enjoyment of glass.

In addition to the time spent administering the programs of the Cafesjian Family Foundation, Mr. Cafesjian also runs several business ventures. He is a partner in a group of restaurants with operations in Florida and Minnesota, including Campiello, with three large Italian restaurants; D’Amico & Sons, consisting of twelve smaller, modern, Italian deli-style restaurants; and D’Amico Catering, Minnesota’s leading upscale catering company. He is also involved in Heartland Juice Company, a regional partner and operator of Jamba Juice, the world’s leading juice-bar company. Mr. Cafesjian is active in real estate investment with projects in Florida and Minnesota, and he has investments in Italian and Hungarian wineries.
Gerard L. Cafesjian is married to Cleo, whom he met during World War II when she was a nurse and he was serving in the Navy. The Cafesjians have two children, Kathleen and Thomas, a granddaughter, Carrie, and two great-grandsons, Samuel and Eli.

Mr. Cafesjian is a member of the New York Bar Association, the United States Supreme Court Bar Association, and the Supreme Court of Samoa. He has served on the boards of many business and non-profit institutions, including West Publishing Company, Hudson Products, United Hospital, the University of Minnesota Museum of Art, the Minnesota Museum of Art, and Our Fair Carousel.