the various revolutions in Europe and elsewhere. It is the
lack of caring more than the lack of giving.
There is caring and there is giving back. The people who
are receiving should also learn to give back. It should be a
continuous chain.
GG: One time I read somewhere that you said that during
your lifetime, you were going to give a hundred million back.
That maybe the number is probably more like 200…
RD: Well it also depends on how healthy I am! (laughing)
Things look good. Part of the giving is through the
foundation. That is the general way to give back and it is
something like 50-60 million.
GG: What are your ideas about the future of preservation in
Chicago? Because until 30 years ago there wasn’t much…
RD: No, there wasn’t. There’s a lot that has been done,
there’s a lot that can be done. Although what’s tough, because
of the demands, it is costly to repair, so I think what the city
should do is use its taxing powers to help preservation. And
give larger tax credits to the city, the county, the state, or the
federal government. To make it more economically feasible
to repair, because you want to protect your past.
And that will help tourism. We’d have better tourism if we
had consistency and better neighborhoods. While a lot has
been done in the last 20-30 years, we’ve lost a lot, too. In
every city, it seems, we’re losing more than we should.
GG: What do you wish your legacy to be in Chicago?
RD: In philanthropy, environment, and design. That is my
principal focus. Also, small art and performing arts groups.
It’s not only about the built environment but the liveliness
of people designing them. It’s not just the frozen physical
space but it’s the personal space as well. We spent about
$50,000 last year on performing art theaters; they went out
in the city and performed spontaneously. We’re going to talk
about doing that again next year. I think we’ll do that again
next year. I thought that was a very good idea, an idea we took
from London. In philanthropy, I’d like to eventually set up a
special foundation, or charitable lead trust, just for the built
environment. I would give classical architecture and design
awards.
GG: I was going to quote Leon Battista Alberti. He said that
‘beauty is the arrangements of all the parts that you cannot
change, add, or subtract. It would alter the harmony of the
whole.’ Essentially that’s what he said…
RD: Well, that’s the truth. As always, it was wonderful. Thank
you.
Sacred Places • Fall 2010 • 16