23 Facts About Gordon Gund

Gordon Gund was born on October 15,1939 and is an American businessman and professional sports owner.

Gordon Gund is the former co-owner of the San Jose Sharks from 1992 to 2002, former principal owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1983 to 2005, and former principal owner of the Cleveland Rockers from 1997 to 2003.

Since Minnesota was perceived as the more desirable hockey market at the time, NHL President John Ziegler oversaw a merger between the two franchises, with the Gordon Gund's assuming ownership of the North Stars.

Gordon Gund sold his share outright while George retained an ownership share as one of the partners in SJSE.

The Gordon Gund's replaced the team's logo and uniform design, replacing the "swashbuckling swordsman" with the team's nickname of 'Cavs' with a stylized 'V' made of a net and basketball.

In 2005, Gordon Gund sold controlling interest of the team to Quicken Loans founder and billionaire Dan Gilbert, maintaining a minority ownership stake for himself.

In October 2003, Gordon Gund announced that his Gordon Gund Arena Company would no longer operate the Rockers.

Gordon Gund Arena became a cornerstone of the redevelopment of Downtown Cleveland, which was bolstered by Jacobs Field, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the new Cleveland Browns Stadium.

The Gordon Gund's would operate one of the founding franchises of the WNBA, the Cleveland Rockers.

In 2014, along with his wife, Gordon Gund signed The Giving Pledge, committing to give a majority of his wealth to philanthropy.

Gordon Gund II was famous for hiding his wealth from his family and hiding his philanthropy.

Gordon Gund's sister, Agnes, is a well known philanthropist in her own right.

Gordon Gund resided with his late wife, Llura, in Princeton, New Jersey; together they had two children.

Gordon Gund has owned a large home on the north shore of Nantucket since 1978.

Gordon Gund attended Harvard University, where he majored in physical sciences and sociology and played ice hockey.

Gordon Gund served in the United States Navy, becoming department head on two destroyers.

Gordon Gund then started a banking career, specializing in corporate finance.

Gordon Gund gradually began going blind in the 1960s due to retinitis pigmentosa.

In 1971, Gordon Gund co-founded the Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation which supports research to find cures and treatments for retinal degenerative diseases.

Gordon Gund is the former President of the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Groton School in Groton, Massachusetts.

Gordon Gund has honorary doctorates from University of Gothenburg in Sweden, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Whittier College and the University of Vermont.

Gordon Gund formerly served as director of the Kellogg Company of Battle Creek, Michigan, and of Corning Incorporated in Corning, New York.

Gordon Gund is chairman emeritus and a director of the board of directors of The Foundation Fighting Blindness.