FRED ADLER

1925 - 2022

ADLER--Fred. Fred Adler, a pioneer in venture capital, who transformed the investment community, died January 24, 2022 at his home in Manhattan. He was 96. Fred was among the very first individuals to recognize the potential of venture capital as an effective force in the formation and turnaround of corporations. He did so with insight, intuition, a demanding mind, and charm. As a young attorney with the law firm of Reavis & McGrath, today Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, Fred drafted a plan to turnaround a troubled corporation. The plan was successful and he realized his unique abilities and recognized that "lawyers could be hired". He built an innovative venture capital fund and hired his own attorneys. Since 1967, he was a leading investor in venture capital, founding the Adler & Co. family of over 20 venture funds, with investments and leadership roles in hundreds of start-ups, including Data General Corp, Applied Materials, Intersil, Daisy and Life Technologies. His office was the central station for new ideas in high tech, both computer science and biotechnology. Fred was sought after and entertained dozens of novel proposals in a single day. His evenings often consisted of two simultaneous business dinners that he scuttled between with ease. His style of mentoring advanced the careers of a generation of young venture capitalists. He was unique in his insight and in his desire for independence. Fred's contributions were recognized by diverse institutions around the globe. He received an honorary doctorate from the Technion in Israel for his role as a founder of the Israeli venture capital industry. He received the Favorite Son Award from the governor of South Carolina for his contributions to the technology industry in that state. He was a major contributor and a member of the Board of Trustees of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and served on the Dean's Advisory Council at Harvard Law School and the board of TIAA. Numerous charitable causes were the recipient of Fred Adler's gracious insight and support. Frederick R. Adler was born in New York City in 1925, the son of Austrian immigrant Samuel Adler and Rose Axelrod. He interrupted his college education to serve in the 13th Airborne Division of the US Army from 1943 to 1946. He then graduated from Brooklyn College and attended the Harvard Law School, graduating in 1951. Fred is survived by his wife Catherine and their sons Christopher and Frederick. He is also survived by children from his first marriage to Elsie Adler, son, James and daughters, Barbara, Susan, and Elizabeth. He was the grandfather to Sara Jane, Max, Harry, Cameron, Gideon, Ruby, Nicholas, and Helena. Fred Adler's passion for his work was only transcended by a love of family and friends. He leaves a long legacy of achievement and global engagement. A Memorial service will be planned for early summer 2022.