Irving S. Gilmore

Irving Samuel Gilmore (1900–1986) was a musician, retail businessman, and philanthropist.

He worked at and eventually led the Gilmore Brothers department stores business established by his uncle and father.

His older brothers were James Stanley Gilmore (1890–1982) and Donald S.

[4] The Irving S. Gilmore Foundation he established has granted more than $30 million since the mid-1980s including $2 million to help fund the Irving S. Gilmore Theatre Complex, $4 million to create the Irving S. Gilmore Fine Arts Equipment Endowment, $2 million to support the Virtual Imaging Technology Lab initiative and a dance studio located atop Dunbar Hall, and $3.5 million in to create the Center for Advancing Arts Research (CFAAR), a laboratory and immersive experiences venue.

[8] The Kalamazoo Valley Museum has photographs of him and other business leaders from the community who were involved in planning the downtown mall.