Joseph Randall Shapiro’s Generosity

Collectors Founders Joe Shapiro

Joseph Randall Shapiro donated 1,000 lithographs to University of Chicago students so they would have art in their dorms.

Joe was just a remarkable human being. He just—He had a generosity of spirit about him that was his—You know most people don't know, for example, that Joe gave 1,000 or so lithographs to the University of Chicago so that the students at the start of the school year could come in and get a work of live art to hang in their dorm rooms for a year. And that's a program that as far as I know is still going on down there. And the one story he told, well, he told it a number of times, but at one of the museum events—but I love the story—he said that his mother came once and was looking at his art collection. And she said, "From this you make a living?" And he said, "No mama, not a living, a life."

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