Ira A. Lipman

Ira A. Lipman
Born c. 1941
Residence Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Education Little Rock Central High School
Alma mater Ohio Wesleyan University
Occupation Businessman, philanthropist
Religion Judaism
Spouse(s) Barbara K. Lipman
Children 3 sons
Parent(s) Mark Lipman
Belle Ackerman

Ira A. Lipman (born c. 1941) is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and chairman emeritus of Guardsmark, a privately owned security company with a payroll of 17,000 employees and 130 offices in the United States, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom and France. In 2015, he sold Guardsmark to Universal Protection Service, the largest private security company in the United States, and he served as its vice chairman until its 2016 merger with AlliedBarton. He has been called "a pioneer in the private security guard business".[1] His work has been cited by the United States Department of Justice's Law Enforcement Assistance Administration and the United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations. He supports the arts in Memphis, Tennessee and Judeo-Christian interfaith dialogue in the United States.

Early life

Ira A. Lipman was born circa 1941.[2] His father, Mark Lipman, was the founder of Mark Lipman Service, a private investigation company,[3] and the author of the 1975 book Stealing: How America's Employees Are Stealing Their Companies Blind.[4] His mother was Belle Ackerman.[3] Lipman experienced antisemitism as a child.[5] He was a member of Aleph Zadik Aleph.[5]

Lipman was educated at the Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.[6] While he was in high school, Lipman acted an anonymous source to journalist John Chancellor, who was covering desegregation.[7] Meanwhile, Lipman graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1962.[8]

Business career

Lipman founded Guardsmark, a security company, in 1963.[4] He initially founded the company to provide hospitals and factories with armed guards at night.[4] With a year, in 1964, he had under 100 employees.[4] He served as its president and chairman from 1970 to 2015.[9]

In 1971, Lipman disagreed with City College of New York Professor Lawrence Zeitlin's research, which showed companies would save money by letting good employees steal.[10][11] Instead, he argued that companies should cut costs by investing in good security to prevent theft.[10] Lipman believed most theft occurred as a result to addiction to narcotics, and the best way for companies to end this would be to hire undercover security agents, as employees would be more likely to confess to them than policemen.[10][11] By 1973, Lipman expanded his business to shoplifting prevention, especially in the Southeastern United States.[12]

Meanwhile, in 1972, after President Richard Nixon laid off 1,100 federal airport security agents, Lipman argued that they should be replaced with private armed guards who should be present in airports at all times.[13] Moreover, Lipman suggested that airport security could be improved if frequent travelers carried with them special cards, as airport security would then focus on irregular travelers and significantly reduce the risks of skyjacking.[13][14] He added that passengers should be required to go through metal detectors, their carry-on luggage should be searched, and landing ramps should be equipped with closed-circuit television camera.[13] By 1976, Lipman's company handled security for 20 airports in the United States.[15][16]

Lipman expanded his business to home security in 1973, initially in Memphis, Houston, New Haven, Connecticut and Concord, California.[17] Meanwhile, he also expanded his business to patrolling entire neighborhoods, the first of which was Belle Meade, Tennessee.[4] By then, he had 3,500 employees active in 35 cities across the United States.[4] A decade later, in 1983, Lipman argued that neighborhood security guards needed "walkies-talkies, close-circuit cameras, electronic fences, bullet-proof glass, card-key systems", but no guns, adding "They are more of a threat to society by having a gun.".[18]

Lipman expanded his business further with bodyguard protection for high-net-worth individuals by 1974.[19][20] He argued that this was necessary to prevent kidnappings.[19][20]

Lipman authored a book about security entitled How To Protect Yourself From Crime: Everything You Need To Know To Guard Yourself, Your Family, Your Home, Your Possessions, And Your Business in 1975.[21][22]

A 1981 report from the United States Department of Justice's Law Enforcement Assistance Administration quoted Lipman's advice that having a dog in the house was an efficient deterrent for burglaries.[23] Meanwhile, in a 1988 lecture at the Institute of Criminal Justice and Criminology of the University of Maryland, College Park, Lipman suggested private security firms should have access to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's criminal records to weed out felons and individuals with mental health.[1]

Lipman's business increased in the wake of the 1995 Oklahoma city bombing.[24] On September 11, 2001, Lipman instructed his employees to evacuate floors 48th to 52nd of the One Liberty Plaza, adjacent to the World Trade Center.[5] Within a year, Lipman supported the Private Security Officer Employment Standards Act, a 2002 bill proposed by Senator Carl Levin of Michigan.[5] Don Walker, the chairman and CEO of Pinkerton and chair of the American Society for Industrial Security, suggested Lipman had worked with Levin in "a cloud of secrecy".[5] In 2004, Lipman's opinion pieces published in The New York Times as early as 1980 were discussed by the United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations.[25]

By 2014, the company had an annual revenue of US$500 million, with 17,000 employees.[26] It had "130 offices in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom."[26]

In 2015, Lipman sold Guardsmark to Universal Protection Service, making it the largest security company in the United States.[27] Lipman served as its vice chairman until its merger with AlliedBarton in 2016.[27]

Lipman is the chairman emeritus of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency.[28] He also served on the board of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.[8] He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations,[9] where he is the namesake of the Chair in Emerging Technologies and National Security, currently held by Adam Segal.[29] He is the recipient of the Stanley C. Pace Leadership in Ethics Award from the Ethics Research Center.[26]

Lipman has been called "a pioneer in the private security guard business" by The New York Times.[1] He has also been called a "pioneer" by Don Walker, the chairman and CEO of Pinkerton.[5]

Lipman is a shareholder of Contemporary Media, Inc., which owns Memphis: The City Magazine.[6]

Philanthropy and art collection

Lipman served on the boards of trustees of the Brooks Memorial Art Gallery and the Memphis Academy of Arts as well as on the Advisory Council of the Chickasaw Council Boy Scouts of America.[8] He established the Alexis de Tocqueville Chapter of the United Way of Memphis in 1984, and he led its fundraising campaigns in 1985-1986.[26] In 1992, he was elected to the board of governors of the United Way of America.[30] In 1995, he endowed the annual $50,000 John Chancellor Award.[31] He served on the board of trustees of his alma mater, Ohio Wesleyan University, from 1988 to 1997.[9]

Lipman was appointed as the vice president of the National Conference of Christians and Jews in 1992.[32] He subsequently served as its chairman.[9] He was appointed as the vice president of the International Council of Christians and Jews in 1992.[33] He serves as the Honorary Life Chairman of the National Conference for Community and Justice.[6] He served as an officer of the American Jewish Historical Society in 1994-1995.[34] With his wife, he donated a Torah scroll to Yeshiva University in 2007.[35] He serves on the board of trustees of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.[36]

Lipman collects paintings by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Mary Cassatt.[8]

Personal life

Lipman has a wife, Barbara, who established the Barbara K. Lipman Early Childhood School Research Institute at the University of Memphis.[37] They have three sons, Gus, who served as Senior Vice President of Guardsmark,[5] M Benjamin, and Joshua.[38]

Works

References

  1. 1 2 3 Franklin, Ben A. (April 20, 1988). "Private Access to F.B.I. Records Is Proposed". The New York Times. Retrieved August 20, 2016. A pioneer in the private security guard business has proposed giving employers in his industry access to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's computerized file of citizens' criminal records.
  2. ↑ Brown, Vivian (November 26, 1973). "Pilot program in home security offers 24-hour-a-day protection". The Kokomo Tribune. Kokomo, Indiana. p. 6. Retrieved August 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 "Mark Lipman, 88, Investigator Who Founded a Private Agency". The New York Times. May 25, 1994. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Brown, Vivian (October 3, 1973). "Worry about burglars leads to guard service". The Daily Journal. Fergus Falls, Minnesota. p. 19. Retrieved August 18, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 McCombs, Phil (May 14, 2002). "On His Guard". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 "The Memphis Thirty Five". Memphis: The City Magazine. March 28, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  7. ↑ Nelson, Lars-Erik (December 25, 1995). "A SCARED KID IN '57 LITTLE ROCK HONORS HIS HERO". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Distinguished Achievement Citation: Ira A. Lipman, Class of 1962" (PDF). Ohio Wesleyan University. May 14, 1988. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Company Overview of Guardsmark, LLC: Ira A. Lipman". Bloomberg. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 "Theft by Employes Costly. Security Executive Urges Tighter Controls". The Weirton Daily Times. Weirton, West Virginia. June 23, 1971. p. 27. Retrieved August 18, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. 1 2 Pope, Leroy (June 23, 1971). "Business Today". The Daily Herald. Chicago, Illinois. p. 7. Retrieved August 18, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Marnell, Gene (July 29, 1973). "Southeastern Businessmen Spending Millions In Effort To Combat Thefts From Their Firms". The Danville Register. Danville, Virginia. p. 12. Retrieved August 18, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. 1 2 3 Pope, Leroy (November 15, 1972). "Believe security against hijackers could raise air fare". Ames Daily Tribune. Ames, Iowa. p. 3. Retrieved August 18, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Cards Proposed For Regular Air Travelers". The Danville Register. Danville, Virginia. October 31, 1972. p. 3. Retrieved August 18, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Airports bolster security". The Pantagraph. Bloomington, Indiana. January 1, 1976. p. 1. Retrieved August 19, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Ira A. Lipman, president of Guardsmark Inc., which handles security for some 20 airports, said "A person may ultimately have to have an air travel card, give his name, address and telephone number and put his belongings in a seethrough bag, just to check his luggage."
  16. ↑ "Airports' security is tightened". San Antonio Express. San Antonio, Texas. January 1, 1976. p. 12. Retrieved August 19, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ Brown, Vivian (September 26, 1973). "Organization Guards Houses. Home Owners Are Interested In Security". Beckley Post-Herald. Beckley, West Virginia. p. 11. Retrieved August 18, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ Wysocki, Bernard, Jr. (September 28, 1983). "Lone Star State keep close tabs on private security guards". Santa Cruz Sentinel. Santa Cruz, California. p. 12. Retrieved August 19, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. 1 2 Weisinger, Mort (April 28, 1974). "The Bodyguard Business Is Booming". The San Bernardino County Sun. San Bernardino, California. p. 9. Retrieved August 19, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. 1 2 "Kidnapping High Crime". Lebanon Daily News. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. August 16, 1975. p. 12. Retrieved August 19, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ Gribbin, August (November 25, 1975). "Book destined for big sales. Anti-crime advice: be careful". The Pocono Record. Strousburg, Pennsylvania. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ Moneyhun, George (December 10, 1975). "Fighting Crime Begins At Home". The Daily Messenger. Canandaigua, New York. p. 4. Retrieved August 19, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ "Using Dogs For Protection". Logansport Pharos-Tribune. Logansport, Indiana. April 15, 1981. p. 4. Retrieved August 20, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ Mulligan, Thomas S. (April 22, 1995). "TERROR IN OKLAHOMA CITY : Blast Spurs Business for Security Firms". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  25. ↑ Private Security Officer Employment Authorization Act of 2003: hearing before the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eighth Congress, second session, on S. 1743. 521-539. March 30, 2004. p. 75.
  26. 1 2 3 4 "Ira A. Lipman". The Society of Entrepreneurs. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  27. 1 2 Nichols, Meagan (July 28, 2015). "Memphis security giant Guardsmark bought". Memphis Business Journal. Retrieved August 19, 2016. Lipman will become the vice chairman of the board in the new arrangement.
  28. ↑ "Ira Lipman: Chairman Emeritus". National Council on Crime and Delinquency. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Adam Segal: Ira A. Lipman Chair in Emerging Technologies and National Security and Director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  30. ↑ Nelson, Kathy (August 25, 1992). "Extensive national changes adopted". The Gettysburg Times. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. p. 13. Retrieved August 19, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ↑ "The John Chancellor Award". Columbia Journalism School. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Lipman becomes vice president". Del Rio News Herald. Del Rio, Texas. July 25, 1992. p. 4. Retrieved August 19, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ↑ "Lipman Elected". Standard-Speaker. Hazleton, Pennsylvania. August 27, 1992. p. 37. Retrieved August 16, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. ↑ "American Jewish Historical Society: Founded in 1892". American Jewish History. 82 (1/4): 436. 1994. JSTOR 23885706. (registration required (help)).
  35. ↑ "Barbara and Ira A. Lipman and Family Present Torah Scroll to Yeshiva University". Yeshiva University. July 3, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
  36. ↑ "SWC Board of Trustees". Simon Wiesenthal Center. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  37. ↑ "Barbara K. Lipman Early Childhood School and Research Institute: Ira and Barbara Lipman". The University of Memphis. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  38. ↑ "WEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS; Joanna Goldman, Joshua Lipman". The New York Times. April 13, 2003. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
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