Nicholas F. Taubman

{{Short description|American businessman, politician and diplomat}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Nicholas Frank Taubman

| honorific-suffix =

| image = Assignment- 59-CF-DS-24570-05) Official portrait of Nicholas Taubman, U.S. Ambassador-designate to Romania (Photographer- Ann Thomas--State) (59-CF-DS-24570-05 Amb Taubam8.jpg - DPLA - 37fb2df8dd147077e375a72b7b59f0bb.jpg

| imagesize =

| ambassador_from = United States

| country = Romania

| term_start = December 2, 2005

| term_end = December 3, 2008

| predecessor = Jack Dyer Crouch II

| successor = Mark Gitenstein

| president = George W. Bush

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1935}}

| birth_place = Roanoke, Virginia, US

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = American

| party = Republican

| otherparty =

| residence = Roanoke, Virginia

| alma_mater = University of Pennsylvania

| occupation = Businessman

| signature =

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

Nicholas Frank Taubman (born 1935) is a United States businessman, politician, and ambassador. He served as the United States Ambassador to Romania 2005–2008.[http://bucharest.usembassy.gov/Embassy/Ambassador/index.html United States Embassy in Bucharest: Ambassador]

Early life

Nicholas Taubman was born 1935 in Roanoke, Virginia to parents Arthur Taubman and Grace. He graduated from Mercersburg Academy, a private college preparatory school, in 1953, then attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics.{{citation | newspaper=Virginia Business Magazine | title=Advance Notice | date=June 1997 | url=http://www.gatewayva.com/biz/virginiabusiness/magazine/yr1997/june97/cover.html | accessdate=6 February 2008 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://archive.today/20080104041012/http://www.gatewayva.com/biz/virginiabusiness/magazine/yr1997/june97/cover.html | archivedate=January 4, 2008 }}

He served in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1958, and from 1960 to 1961.

Business career

From 1969 to 2005, Taubman served as President and CEO of Advance Auto Parts, a chain of auto parts stores founded by his father Arthur Taubman.

Politics

Taubman served on the Roanoke City Council from 1976 to 1978.

Taubman was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Romania by President George W. Bush in November 2005 and served until December 2008.

Philanthropy

Taubman and his wife Eugenia (Jenny) are the largest donors to the new Art Museum of Western Virginia, having pledged over $15 million. In recognition, the new museum was renamed the Taubman Museum of Art.{{citation | last=Kittredge | first=Kevin | title=New art museum to carry Taubman name | newspaper=The Roanoke Times | date=February 7, 2008 | url=http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/149859 | accessdate=7 February 2008 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120910073948/http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/149859 | archivedate=September 10, 2012 }} He is on the board of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History{{Cite web |date=2009-10-07 |title=National Museum of American History Names Four New Board Members |url=https://americanhistory.si.edu/press/releases/national-museum-american-history-names-four-new-board-members |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=americanhistory.si.edu |language=en}} Their gift funded the Nicholas F. and Eugenia Taubman Gallery of the museum.{{Cite press release |last=History |first=Smithsonian's National Museum of American |title=National Museum of American History Examines Religion in America |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-museum-of-american-history-examines-religion-in-america-300344291.html |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}}