George Stanley Gordon

George Stanley Gordon (November 19, 1926 – April 22, 2013) was an American advertising executive who founded the famed Gordon and Shortt Advertising Agency. Gordon approached famed artist Alexander Calder and brought him to Braniff International Airways Chairman Harding Lawrence with a proposal for Calder to paint a Braniff jet airliner in what would become the world's first flying artwork.

Early life and education

George Gordon was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were mother Emily Millar Gordon from County Down, Ireland, and father George Gordon from Liverpool England. George Gordon's mother was a housewife and his father a Merchant Marine who served in World War I for England. George Gordon had a brother and one sister.

Gordon began attending PS 102 in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933, at the age of eight. He then attended high school years at Brooklyn Technical High School where he graduated in January, 1944, with a major in Chemistry.

In 1958, Gordon became director of worldwide marketing at Massey Ferguson. Gordon was lauded for turning the 300 million USD company to a profitable status. When he arrived the company was near bankruptcy and he decided that the company would use national television to promote its products. He remained with Massey Ferguson until 1963.

Alexander Calder Flying Mobiles Master Artist Alexander Calder and advertising executive George Gordon with Braniff Douglas DC-8 model painted by Mr. Calder in 1973.

In 1972, Gordon approached Alexander Calder about painting a full sized jet airliner. Calder, the creator of the Mobile and Stabile art forms, agreed to meet with Gordon who explained the project. Calder misunderstood and believed that Gordon was proposing that Calder paint toy airplanes. Calder was not interested. Gordon further explained that he wanted Calder to paint a full sized jet airliner and further explained that it would be the world's largest flying artwork. Calder was immediately interested and agreed.

Gordon introduced Calder to Braniff International Airways Chairman, Harding Lawrence. Gordon knew that Braniff was devoted to the art and fashion industries and thought that Braniff would be the best candidate for the revolutionary jet plane painting project. A contract was created where Calder would paint fifty gouaches for possible later use of the gouache designs on Braniff aircraft and create the design for a Braniff Douglas DC-8 jet liner, in a manner that would celebrate the airline's 25th year of service to the South American continent. The work would be titled Flying Colors. As a result of his brilliant work with this project, Gordon's agency Gordon and Shortt obtained the Braniff account in 1972 and would remain Braniff's ad agency until 1979 when it merged with Wells Rich Greene Agency.

Producer and professor

In 1988, Gordon became a theater producer. He received many awards an honors for his theatrical productions. In 1994, he produced "The Jeweler's Shop" Off Broadway and then at various Catholic churches throughout the Northeast for fifteen years. In 1997, George Stanley Gordon became an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Connecticut Stamford's Graduate School of Business. Gordon retained this professorship until 1999.

Honors

The Clio Ad Man of the Year, Ad Age Marketing Man of the Year, Ad Age Outer Critics Circle Award, 1988, for producing "Oil City Symphony", as best Off-Broadway Musical Drama Desk Award

Productions as producer

"The Jeweler's Shop" by Pope John Paul The II, highly successful with a 30-day sold out run in Washington D.C. "Kensington Gardens", a musical based on the James Barrie story written in 1894 as a prequel to "Peter Pan"

Retirement and death

Gordon retired from advertising in 1980, but remained very active with other business ventures and philanthropic endeavors. Gordon married twice, first to Olive Briggs with whom he had two daughters, Kimberly (Slayton) and Dana. He married Janet Morgan and became the father of two sons, George III and Troy. Gordon met his life partner, Nancy Wareham-Gordon, with whom he had one daughter, Chloe Wareham-Gordon.

Gordon had suffered from Lewy Body Dementia a severe neurological disease for many years during the 2000s. On April 22, 2013, Gordon died at the age of 86 at Calvary Hospital in Bronx, New York.