William S. Fishman (1916-1991), was a philanthropist and co-founder and former chief executive of ARA Services, (now Aramark). At the time of his passing, he was 75 years old and lived in Merion.

Mr. Fishman co-founded ARA, which helped pioneer the automatic vending business, with Davre Davidson in 1959. He was chairman from 1977 to 1984, doubling the company’s business to $3 billion a year as it expanded into food services and school buses. He was president of the company, now based in Philadelphia, from 1964 to 1976 and chief executive from 1975 to 1983.

After he moved to Philadelphia in 1961, Mr. Fishman became involved with the city’s cultural, civic and educational programs.

In 1988 Mr. Fishman, who was Jewish, was asked by John Cardinal Krol to become the first chairman of Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools. In his tenure the group raised more than $45 million for Roman Catholic schools.

Mr. Fishman also helped establish the Museum of American Jewish History on Independence Mall.

Along with Mr. Davidson, he was honored by ARA in 1982 when the company established the Fishman-Davidson Center for the Study of the Service Sector at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

Mr. Fishman was a fellow of Brandeis University and established a chair of economics there.

He twice served as president of the National Automatic Merchandising Association and as president of the Jewish Publication Society of America.

He was a director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Franklin Institute and the Academy of Music.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/18/obituaries/william-s-fishman-75-is-dead-philanthropist-and-ex-executive.html

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