Harry T. Mangurian, Jr. was an American veteran of
World War II, businessman, a former
owner of the Boston Celtics basketball team, a Thoroughbred racehorse owner/breeder, and a
philanthropist.
Mangurian was born to an Armenian immigrant Following the outbreak of
World War II, as soon as he reached the legal age Mangurian enlisted in the
United States Navy. He served in the Pacific Theater of Operations 1943-1946. Following his discharge, Mangurian returned home to work in the family's retail furniture business which he would build into a national chain. Following an IPO he eventually merged the business with General Portland cement company. He also acquired First National Bank of Rochester, serving as chairman of the Board of Directors. Survived by many family members brother Pierce Mangurian, niece Valerie Locay and Nephew Mark Mangurian
Taking up residence in Florida, in 1969 he purchased the jet charter company, Southeastern Jet Corporation
In 1977, Mangurian became a partner in the Buffalo Braves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). At the end of the 1978 season he and his partner John Y. Brown, Jr., negotiated a franchise swap of the Braves team for the Boston Celtics. After one season, Mangurian bought out Brown and as the franchise's owner saw the Celtics sign stars Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. In the 1980-81 Boston Celtics season, his team won the NBA Championship.
he oversaw its development into a major Thoroughbred breeding and racing operation. He notably raced two-time Eclipse Award winner, Desert Vixen. In 1979, the filly was inducted in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. Mangurian also notably owned Valid Appeal who went on from a career in racing to become a successful sire at stud in Florida.
In 1995, Harry Mangurian was inducted in the Calder Race Course Hall of Fame. In 2002 he received the national Eclipse Award of Merit, the American Thoroughbred horse racing industry's highest honor. In his mid seventies, Mangurian cut back on his racing activities. In 2000, he sold Mockingbird Farm (now Winding Oaks Farm) and dispersed virtually all of his breeding stock.
In 1999, Harry Mangurian established a private foundation for philanthropic purposes. After the
September 11, 2001 attacks on the
United States, his initial million dollar donation
* Chicago Barn to Wire information on NTRA charities and /wiki/Harry_T._Mangurian,_Jr. Valerie Mangurian
Categories: 1926 births | 2008 deaths | Armenian Americans | American businesspeople |
American military personnel of
World War II | American philanthropists | American racehorse owners and breeders | Boston Celtics executives | Boston Celtics owners | Eclipse Award winners | Buffalo Braves owners | People from Rochester, New York | National Basketball Association executives | National Basketball Association owners
