Lloyd Rigler, entrepreneur and avid arts philanthropist, was born in Lehr, North Dakota in 1915. When he was four, the family moved to Wishek. He learned about business in his parents’ general store where he started running his own counter, selling gift items and greeting cards, when he was only 11.
Rigler attended the University of Illinois in Champaign. After college, he worked in market research, product demonstration, and sales. He then partnererd with Lawrence Deutsch, as Rigler & Deutsch Food Brokers. In 1948, they happened upon a remarkable entree at a Santa Barbara restaurant owned by chef Adolph Rempp. When they learned the meat had been tenderized with Rempp’s personal concoction, they asked about the recipe and ended up paying Rempp $10,000 for it. They made payments of $100 per month for what would become famous as Adolph’s Meat Tenderizer.
Over the next 25 years, Rigler and Deutsch acquired fortunes worth millions. Consequently, they decided to develop a foundation to support social programs and the arts. They were among the founders of the Los Angeles Music Center and the JFK Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. They also supported the Jofrey Ballet, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the City Center of Music and Drama in New York, the New York City Opera, and more.
Rigler and Deutsch sold their business in 1974. After Deutsch died in 1977, leaving his estate to the foundation, Rigler dedicated himself to supporting the arts.
He was proud of his North Dakota roots and often talked of how good life had been to him during his early years. And, he didn’t forget the state when it came to philanthropy. Of the North Dakota Museum of Art in Grand Forks, he said, “Such quality. I can’t believe this kind of quality exists in the arts in North Dakota. I want to support the North Dakota Museum of Art.” And he did. Two weeks before he died, he issued a challenge grant of $12,500 to help the museum gain new donors.
Rigler also gave more than $100,000 in matching grants to the Northern Plains’ Ballet in Bismarck. In his hometown of Wishek, he donated money toward the city hospital and a golf course named for him.
Lloyd Rigler passed away on this date in 2003 at the age of 88.
Dakota Datebook written by Merry Helm
