Thomas Gosnell left mark on region

Nate Dougherty//May 8, 2009//

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When Anthony Bannon, director of the George Eastman House, remembers the life and accomplishments of Thomas Gosnell, another iconic Rochester businessman and philanthropist comes to mind.
His quiet demeanor, business acumen and civic engagement reminded Bannon of the namesake of the museum that Mr. Gosnell and his wife helped refurbish.
“He really acted in the great tradition of George Eastman-a gentleman, thoroughly civic-minded, a great philanthropist but humble in his approach,” Bannon said. “He touched all spheres of influence within our community, recognizing the societal and health needs, as well as cultural and educational.”
Mr. Gosnell passed away at his Webster home April 27 at age 86. He is known for having spearheaded growth at Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Co. and for giving time and donations to non-profit groups and serving in the Republican Party leadership locally.
The great-grandson of Lawyers Cooperative founder Ezra Andrews, Mr. Gosnell became president and CEO of the company in 1960. He helped it become the largest publisher of legal reference books in the nation, and by 1988 it had revenue of $200 million.
During his tenure, Mr. Gosnell began to lead Lawyers Cooperative from print to the electronic world, and the need to expand further into this realm led to his 1989 sale of the company to Toronto-based Thomson Corp. for $810 million. The sale made Lawyers Cooperative the flagship of the Thomson Legal Publishing Group.
“He was a tremendous businessman. He had a great view of the future and knew what was happening,” said Jean Maess, vice president and publisher at West Group, who worked with Mr. Gosnell for eight years. “He knew the size we were and that to make the transition to online service we needed deeper pockets, and he was willing to make the sacrifice for the good of the company.”
Maess believes it was another branch of his community involvement that helped lead the push into the digital world. Mr. Gosnell had served on Rochester Institute of Technology’s board of trustees since in 1977 and was chairman from 1987 to 1992.
“He went from hot lead (printing) to digital on his leadership,” Maess said. “He used what he knew from local universities to say this is what we need in the business.”
As RIT chairman, Mr. Gosnell helped the school raise $120 million during a four-year Access to the Future capital campaign, surpassing its goal by $20 million. In 1998 he and wife Georgia made a $3 million gift toward the college’s $13 million Center for Excellence in Mathematics, Science and Technology. Andrews, Mr. Gosnell’s great-grandfather, was a founder of the precursor school to RIT, Mechanics Institute.
Albert Simone, who served as RIT president from 1992 to 2007, remembers Mr. Gosnell as a steadying influence and a counselor during Simone’s 15 years as president.
“He was always supportive and didn’t interfere, but always had a strong business sense and always was sensitive to people and their feelings,” Simone said. “But he was quiet. He always kept in the background, low-key, but a steady and quiet influence.”
Maess said he is remembered among Lawyers Cooperative employees for his quiet, earnest nature. She attributes this to his service in World War II, when he earned a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star and four combat engagement stars.
“He was a classic World War II veteran, the strong silent type,” said Maess, who noted that he would greet and shake hands with each employee every Christmas season.
Bruce Bates, a friend who also served as RIT chairman during Mr. Gosnell’s board tenure, said he was by nature conservative. When Mr. Gosnell held a picnic at a house he rented in Nantucket, he arrived wearing a three-piece suit.
“He was formal, but always very friendly,” Bates said.
Though Mr. Gosnell was reticent by nature, Bannon remembers him holding court at a long table at the Genesee Valley Club where diners would sit if eating alone. Mr. Gosnell would recall specific aspects of their personal and professional lives and always inquire about them, Bannon said.
“He would go to that table and light it up,” Bannon said. “For me it would be a kind of a gift when he would come because I would be pleased to tell him what was happening at the Eastman House and get his response.”
Bannon also noted the strong relationship between Mr. Gosnell and his wife. When the couple led a campaign to help restore the Eastman House to its original condition, it was Georgia who took the lead, with her husband offering his quiet support.
Mr. Gosnell also was known for his love of yachting. At his summer home in Nantucket, Bates said, he would give daily rides on his yacht, Sleigh Ride, even giving landlubbers the chance to captain the ship under his supervision.
When RIT opened a campus in Croatia, he used his yacht to travel there, where he held a reception onboard. It was an occasion Simone remembered fondly.
“One thing led to another, and in his quiet way he challenged me to climb this enormous mast, and I did,” Simone said. “It was scary, it was moving in the wind. Every time I saw him after that, we would talk about it.”
Despite his many accomplishments, Bates said, Mr. Gosnell never sought the spotlight. Bates learned more about his service in World War II from family members at his memorial service than from Mr. Gosnell himself.
“I think his impact was almost immeasurable,” Bates said. “His passing is sort of the end of an era. He was a true gentleman who worked hard in developing and growing his business.”
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