Irvin F. WestheimerIrvin Ferdinand Westheimer (September
17,1879-December 31,1980, is best remembered for being the
founder of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America. Westheimer,
an Ohio businessman, banker and philanthropist, began the Big
Brothers movement on July 4,1903, when he discovereda young boy
rummaging through a garbage pail outside the rear entrance to
his office. Westheimer befriended the boy, who had no father,
and began to urge his close friends to get involved as "big
brothers" with other young boys from fatherless homes. In 1908,
Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt learnt of the Big Brothers movement
and organized the first "Big Sisters" program in New York City.
The two origanizations came together in 1997, and merged to
become known as the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America.
Westheimer was honored by his native city of Cincinnati, Ohio as
one of its most important people of the century in 2000.
Westheimer himself died at the age of 101 in 1980.