MJ GLADSTONE

GLADSTONE--M.J. (Mike),

publisher, editor, designer, and historic preservationist, died on February 13. Mr. Gladstone was born in New York City in 1923, attended public schools there and received an MA in Fine Arts from Harvard in 1946. He did superb work in publishing and the arts throughout his professional life. He apprenticed at the Elm Tree Press in Woodstock, VT, worked as art and illustrations editor for Merriam-Webster, as advertising manager for Yale University Press, and participated in the early days of mail order publishing at George Braziller, Columbia Records, and McGraw Hill. He headed publications for the Museum of Modern Art and for Arno Press. Mr. Gladstone was a publications consultant to the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Twentieth Century Fund, Commentary magazine, and the Preservation League of New York State. He served briefly as Director of the Museum of American Folk Art and was the author of a book on roadside American folk art, A Carrot for a Nose, published by Scribner. In 1973 he founded the Publishing Center for Cultural Resources, to help nonprofit institutions become effective publishers. In the late 80's, Mike moved from Manhattan to Columbia County where he lived with the art historian Mary Black in the historic Rockefeller Tavern, which together they restored. In his later years, he worked as senior consultant to Furthermore (a program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund) on their grants in publishing. He was an active volunteer, board member, and leading force of local non-profits including Historic Hudson, Hudson River Heritage, Hudson Opera House, the Columbia County Historical Society and the Hudson Valley Chamber Music Circle. Mr. Gladstone was married twice; to Doria Higgins, and to Diane Brooks, with whom he had two children. He is survived by his daughter Abby Yozell, her husband John, and their daughter, Esme; and by his son Charles, his wife Elaine Souza, and their daughter, Lucy Gladstone. A memorial occasion will be held this month at the Hudson Opera House. Contributions in Mike's memory may be made to Historic Hudson, Hudson River Heritage, Hudson Opera House, or the Border Terrier Club of America.