Francis Levien

Francis S. Levien (1905 – June 15, 1995) was an American lawyer and industrialist specialized in the creation of conglomerates. He was a director of Gulf and Western Industries.

Biography Born in 1905, Levien graduated from Columbia College in 1926 and Columbia Law School in 1928. He began a law practice named Levien, Singer & Neuberger and made a small fortune during the 1930s, when he and his partner, Herbert M. Singer, won a case in Delaware, resulting in the formation of PepsiCo. He was also a shareholder of the company.

He also formed a partnership with the New England paper merchant Harry E. Gould and turned a marginal steelmaker, the Steel Materials Corporation, into a thriving money-maker from World War II military contracts.

In 1950, Levien bought a defunct steel mill in Ohio and put it back in operation as the Ohio River Steel Company. Levien subsequently became a director of Gulf and Western until his retirement in 1985. He was also a director of several companies, including Kansas City Southern Industries and 20th Century Fox.

In 1962, he donated $1 million towards building a new gymnasium at Columbia University that was named in his honor.

Personal life Levien married Janice L. Currick in 1936 at the Savoy-Plaza Hotel. He died on June 15 at Mount Sinai Hospital and was survived by his wife, a daughter, Lorna Lubash, and two grandchildren.