# Sy Syms > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sy_Syms > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sy_Syms.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sy_Syms > Source revision: 1355848162 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) This article is about the person. For the business school, see [Sy Syms School of Business](/source/Sy_Syms_School_of_Business). **Sy Syms** (May 12, 1926 – November 17, 2009) was an American [businessman](/source/Businessperson), [entrepreneur](/source/Entrepreneur) and [philanthropist](/source/Philanthropist), who founded the [SYMS](/source/SYMS) [off-price clothing](/source/Department_store#Off-price_retailer) [chain](/source/Chain_store) in [New York City](/source/New_York_City) in 1959.[1] ## Biography Syms was born Seymour Merinsky on May 12, 1926, in New York City.[1] He was the youngest of eight children of [Jewish](/source/Jewish) parents who had emigrated from [Russia](/source/Russia).[2] His family decided to change their surname from "Merinsky" to "Merns" when his father and elder brother George opened a store on [Vesey Street](/source/Vesey_Street) in [Lower Manhattan](/source/Lower_Manhattan). Syms went to [Midwood High School](/source/Midwood_High_School) in Brooklyn.[1] After serving in the [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army), he attended [New York University](/source/New_York_University) on the [G.I. Bill](/source/G.I._Bill).[2] He initially began a career as a [sportscaster](/source/Sportscaster) and [reporter](/source/Reporter) in [Maryland](/source/Maryland) and [West Virginia](/source/West_Virginia). However, in 1950 Syms returned to New York City in order to work at the family's store.[1] In 1959, Syms opened a men's clothing store on nearby Cortlandt Street in New York City's [Financial District](/source/Financial_District,_Manhattan). The store, which was initially named Sy Merns, competed directly with his family's original store on Vesey Street.[1] However, he was forced to change the store's name to simply SYMS, after legal action was taken against him.[1] He later had his name legally changed to Sy Syms to match the store.[1] The company slowly expanded during the 1960s and 1970s. By 1983, Syms had taken the company public with an [initial public offering](/source/Initial_public_offering) and expanded the chain to include eleven [retail](/source/Retail) locations.[1] At its height, the chain had 48 locations in thirteen states.[1] On November 2, 2011, Syms Corp. and its subsidiary Filene's Basement, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after more than a half a century in the clothing business. Sy Syms remained the company's [CEO](/source/CEO) until his retirement in 1998, when he was succeeded by his daughter, Marcy Syms.[1] He remained the company's [chairman](/source/Chairman) until he died of [heart failure](/source/Heart_failure) at his home in [Manhattan](/source/Manhattan), New York City, on November 17, 2009.[2] ## Personal life His first marriage, to Ruth Glickman Merns, ended in divorce. They had six children: Marcy, Robert, Richard, Laura, Stephen (died in 1998),[3] and Adrienne (died in 1999).[1][4] His second wife was Lynn Tamarkin, by whom he had two step-children,[1] Cary Tamarkin and Leslie Tamarkin.[5] Funeral services were held at [Temple Emanu-El](/source/Congregation_Emanu-El_of_New_York) in Manhattan.[5] ## Sy Syms Foundation The non-profit Sy Syms Foundation was founded by Syms in 1985 with his personal funds, to support education. It has given away over $30,000,000 and has contributed toward the continued growth of many institutions of higher learning including the [Syms School of Business](/source/Syms_School_of_Business) at [Yeshiva University](/source/Yeshiva_University), and many organizations which provide funding for education.[6] The foundation has been a major supporter of [public broadcasting](/source/Public_broadcasting) and [National Public Radio](/source/NPR) (NPR) through the underwriting of various programming. Marcy Syms was instrumental in developing many of the grant-relationships made possible by her late father's generosity, and is a founding trustee of the foundation, elected to the role of president in 1997. The foundation has its offices in Fort Lee, New Jersey. ## References 1. ["Founder of SYMS discount clothing store dies"](https://web.archive.org/web/20091119144219/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fn%2Fa%2F2009%2F11%2F17%2Ffinancial%2Ff145445S20.DTL). *[San Francisco Chronicle](/source/San_Francisco_Chronicle)*. 2009-10-17. Archived from [the original](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/11/17/financial/f145445S20.DTL&type=business) on November 19, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-18. 1. [Duhigg, Charles. "Sy Syms, Founder of Discount Chain, Dies at 83", *The New York Times*, Wednesday, November 18, 2009.](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/business/18syms.html?ref=obituaries) 1. [New York Times: "Paid Notice: Deaths SYMS MERNS, STEPHEN"](https://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/31/classified/paid-notice-deaths-syms-merns-stephen.html) August 31, 1998 1. [Washington Post: "Clothing retailer Sy Syms, 83" By Patricia Sullivan](https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/17/AR2009111703907.html) November 18, 2009 1. [SY SYMS Obituary](http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nytimes/obituary.aspx?pid=136102561) November 18, 2009 1. ["Sy Syms Foundation | About Us"](http://sysymsfoundation.org/about/). *Sy Syms Foundation*. Retrieved 2017-01-15. ## External links - [https://www.yu.edu/syms/about/mission-history](https://www.yu.edu/syms/about/mission-history) Sy Syms School of Business at [Yeshiva University](/source/Yeshiva_University) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sy Syms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sy_Syms) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sy_Syms?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.