Richard D. Kaplan was an architect and Senior Trustee of the J.M. Kaplan Fund, a private New York-based foundation noted for its commitment to pioneering projects in urban affairs and the environment.
Kaplan was a graduate of Harvard College and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Among other projects, he designed the American Place Theater in Hell’s Kitchen, and Chatham Towers, an innovative landmarked apartment building in Lower Manhattan. In 1994, Kaplan founded Heritage Trails, New York, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing public awareness of Downtown New York and the history, architecture, and attractions of Lower Manhattan. He served on the board of the Skyscraper Museum, the Forum for Urban Design, and the Regional Plan Association. Kaplan received the City Club of New York's Albert S. Bard Award for Merit in Civic Architecture and Urban Design, and the George S. Lewis Award from the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
This text has been adapted and compiled from the following sources: Rhodes, Marla, Lynda Carter, John Shannon, LiLi Townsend, and Timothy Riley. “View RICHARD KAPLAN's Obituary on NYTimes.com and Share Memories.” Obituary - New York, NY | New York Times, January 26, 2016.