John Tishman, whose company built World Trade Center, dies

John Tishman, an influential developer who oversaw the construction of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers and Chicago’s John Hancock Center, has died at 90.

Tishman, who donated to a variety of Jewish philanthropies, died Saturday of respiratory failure at his home in Bedford, New York, The New York Times reported.

In addition to its involvement in building some of New York and Chicago’s tallest buildings, Tishman’s company, Tishman Realty and Construction, also erected skyscrapers in Detroit and Los Angeles.

Tishman studied electrical engineering at the University of Michigan and served in the U.S. Navy before joining the family company in 1948. Tishman’s grandfather, Julius, had founded the building firm in 1898.

In 2011, Tishman published a memoir, which he wrote with Tom Schachtman, titled “Building Tall: My Life and the Invention of Construction Management.”

Tishman, a New York native, gave to the UJA-Federation of New York and State of Israel Bonds, among others.

His wife, Suzanne Weisberg, died in 2005 after more than 50 years of marriage. He is survived by their two children and three grandsons.