Guggenheim

Guggenheim, name of a family of U.S. industrialists and philanthropists. Meyer Guggenheim (1828–1905) emigrated to Philadelphia from Switzerland in 1847 and set up a business importing Swiss lace. Aided by his 7 sons, he later established large smelting and refining plants. One son, Daniel Guggenheim (1856–1930), extended the concern internationally and set up an aeronautics research foundation. Another son, Simon Guggenheim (1867–1941), was a U.S. senator from Colorado and established a memorial foundation awarding fellowships to artists and scholars. The sixth son, Solomon Robert Guggenheim (1861–1949), founded the Guggenheim Museum in New York.