ORLANDO, Fla. — Harris Rosen, whose name dots the side of buildings straddling Interstate 4 and was credited with the rise of International Drive, died Monday morning. He was 85.
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Rosen, who had been in good physical health, passed away following complications from surgery, members of his family confirmed.
On behalf of the Rosen family, it is with profound sadness that I announce the passing of Harris Rosen, who left us this morning at the age of 85, surrounded by family and loved ones. Harris was an angel to so many here on earth, and now he takes his place among the angels in heaven. A beloved father, grandfather, and a pillar of our community, his boundless generosity and love touched countless lives through his unwavering commitment to helping underserved communities, promoting education, advancing the fight against cancer, and supporting health and wellness initiatives. The family will hold a private Celebration of Life and kindly asks for privacy during this difficult time. Thank you.
— Frank Santos Vice President, Rosen Hotels & Resorts
The founder of Rosen Hotels & Resorts, Rosen’s name carried weight far beyond the tourist district. He was famous for supporting the communities who relied on him for employment through his many philanthropic ventures, with a special focus on Central Florida’s most underserved children.
Born and raised in New York, Rosen graduated from Cornell University after studying hotel management. He served in the United States Army, stationed in Germany and South Korea, before finding work at the Waldorf Astoria and the Hilton Hotel Corporation as he worked his way up the management chain.
Rosen’s rise in Orlando began after he joined the Walt Disney Company as the Director of Hotel Planning, where he helped design the Contemporary Resort, the Polynesian Village Resort and Wilderness Lodge.
Following a falling out with the company, Rosen left Disney in 1974 to purchase the Quality Inn on International Drive with a $20,000 down payment. Under his ownership, the building transformed from 256 rooms to 728 making it one of the largest hotels in the chain.
Rosen converted one of the hotel rooms into his office, where he remained for 50 years. Famously cost-conscious, he refused to purchase any properties unless it was an all-cash deal.
As the decades passed, Rosen acquired and built seven more hotels, including some under his own name. His newest property, the 1,500-room Rosen Shingle Creek, earned a four-diamond rating by AAA and includes 14 dining and lounging options, four pools, walking trails, a golf club, fishing and 445,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
In his later years, Rosen became increasingly focused on giving back, so much that his money touched practically every corner of Central Florida.
“Harris Rosen spent the first half of his career making millions and the second half giving away millions,” a sub-headline from a UCF Pegasus Magazine profile declared.
UCF was a beneficiary of Rosen’s generosity. He donated 20 acres of land at the foot of Rosen Shingle Creek, along with $10 million, to develop the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, which became one of the fastest growing colleges in the United States and is armed with millions in a scholarship endowment funded by Rosen.
Rosen saved the Olympic-sized Orange County Aquatic Center, now named the Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center, after financial stress caused it to close during the pandemic. The center is unique for Orlando and has been credited with helping athletes gain access to competitive swimming scholarships.
Most of Rosen’s legacy, though, will be tied to the assistance he provided to the region’s children through his Rosen Gives Back initiatives and The Harris Rosen Foundation.
In 2009, Rosen’s money helped design and build southwest Orlando’s Jewish Community Center, which serves 150 students from infants to kindergarteners.
Rosen was one of just a handful of backers of free preschools for Central Florida’s youth. His Tangelo Park program, founded in 1993, provides free education to all two- through four-year olds in the neighborhood.
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He also pays for all expenses for any Tangelo Park resident who has been accepted to a trade school, community or public college in Florida. So far, hundreds of people have benefited from his scholarships and the community’s graduation rate is close to 100%, compared to 75% before his program began.
In 2017, Rosen expanded his offering to the Parramore neighborhood, where 24 classrooms now provide no-cost education to preschoolers and high school graduates are given the same scholarship opportunities.
In interviews, Rosen said his dedication to the communities stemmed from a desire to show his appreciation to the people who drove his success – his employees, who he also considered family.
“When you have achieved the success that I have, how incredibly grateful I was,” Rosen said in an interview earlier this year. “I thank God so many times, and all the things I’ve done, I wanted to show my appreciation.”
Rosen also provided his employees their own healthcare system to care for them when they became sick and was a significant supporter of Haiti, where many of his employees have come from, when disaster struck the country.
He said he always wanted his philanthropy to outlast him.
Rosen’s success and generosity did not spare him from personal tragedy. He lost his youngest son, Adam, to a brain tumor in November 2018. Rosen set up a foundation in Adam’s name and has donated millions to fund brain tumor research at the University of Florida.
Rosen is survived by his other three children: Jack, Joshua and Shayna. His family has not yet made their funeral arrangements known.
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