Loews Mourns Death of Co-founder Laurence A. Tisch

Laurence A. Tisch, the Co-Chairman and co-founder of Loews Corporation, the parent company of CNA Financial Corp., passed away Saturday in New York. Tisch, 80, succumbed to cancer.

He and his brother Preston R. “Bob” Tisch started with one hotel in 1946 and built a corporate empire that includes CNA, Loews Hotels, Lorillard, Inc., Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc., Bulova Corp. and interstate natural gas pipeline company, Texas Gas Transmission.

Tisch served as Loews CEO for over 26 years, retiring in 1998, but remained co-chairman of the board of directors. His son, James S. Tisch, is its current President and CEO.

“In addition to his many years of service to Loews Corporation, Mr. Tisch was tireless in his philanthropic efforts. Among other things, he was noted for his efforts on behalf of New York University where he served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1978 to 1998. He was also a former president of the United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York and served as a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City,” said a company bulletin.