Mr. Paul R. Schlesinger

Paul Raymond Schlesinger, who celebrated his 80th birthday on May 1st, died peacefully on May 26th with his wife Phyllis at his side. Paul was the son of Seymour and Helen (Pape) Schlesinger. Born in Chicago and raised in Dallas, Paul was a graduate of Washington & Lee University and received his MBA from the University of Michigan. While at Washington & Lee, he was a member of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. He formed lifelong bonds with his fraternity brothers and played a crucial role in keeping everyone connected over many years. He spent the last eighteen months of his life in assisted living for memory care at Kimball Farms in Lenox, Massachusetts. His family is deeply grateful to the staff of the Life Enrichment Program for the loving care he received. Paul spent the major part of his career at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette as an equity analyst specializing in Transportation. In the annual ranking of leading Wall Street analysts, Institutional Investor's All America Research Team, he was named to the top spot multiple times in the 1980s and 1990s. Paul pushed Wall Street boundaries in his own way. An early advocate for equal treatment of women in the securities business, he refused to attend meetings at venues where women colleagues were excluded; such exclusion was fairly common well into the 1980s. He was also instrumental in resisting prevailing industry retaliation against securities analysts who dared to criticize investment banking clients in their research reports. A 1999 Wall Street Journal “Heard on the Street” column revealed that after he was excluded from investor relations briefings by FDX, parent company of FedEx, Paul wrote a strong letter of complaint to SEC Chairman Arthur Levitt, who took up the cause in a subsequent speech. Paul and his family lived in Brooklyn from 1973 until 2011, when their home in Columbia County became their primary residence. He was an active supporter and board member of Heights & Hills, which serves the needs of the elderly in Brooklyn, the Roeliff Jansen Community Library in Copake, and Friends of Taconic State Park. He also actively campaigned for local and national Democratic Party candidates. Paul is survived by Phyllis (Nash), his wife of 50 years, his daughter Emily and son-in-law Alex, his brother Tony, and lots of cousins, nieces and nephews. A passionate fan of Otis Redding, Paul will be remembered for his love of music, photography and Tuscan cuisine—and for his quick wit, long emails, and deep devotion to his friends and family. Information about a Celebration of Life for Paul will be forthcoming. Memorial contributions can be made to Roeliff Jansen Community Library, Copake, NY; Heights & Hills, Brooklyn; or the International Rescue Committee.

Mr. Paul R. Schlesinger

May 1, 1944 - May 26, 2024