Stanley Golder

Stanley C. Golder (February 16, 1929 – January 5, 2000) was an American financier and venture capitalist.

He is the namesake of the Stanley C. Golder Center for the Study of Private Equity at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he is noted primarily for backing Federal Express and for efforts as chairman of the National Venture Capital Association and the National Association of Small Business Investment Companies to change federal laws allowing pensions to invest in private equity.

In 1980 he left First Chicago to found "Golder, Thoma & Cressey" private equity investment company, later known as GTCR, from which he retired as partner in 1993, but remained consultant.

In 1994 the Golders received the Human Rights Medallion from the American Jewish Committee.

Among Golders' charitable deeds was a $1.5 million gift to the UIUC to endow the Stanley C. and Joan J. Golder Distinguished Chair in Corporate Finance.

Stanley Golder died of cancer at Evanston Hospital.