Researching Robert Fitzpatrick

Robert Fitzpatrick (July 2, 1937 – October 23, 2010) was an American actor, lawyer, film producer, and music executive.

Fitzpatrick born in San Antonio, Texas, brought up in New Jersey and ran away from home and went to New York at the age of 15 where he became an actor off-Broadway. He put himself through Princeton University and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, eventually serving as a Captain in Vietnam during that conflict. Upon discharge, he went to Hollywood and worked as an actor and model, playing in several 20th Century Fox films including Dear Brigitte and Goodbye Charlie. He put himself through UCLA Law School, earning an LLB and a JD degree and became a well known entertainment attorney representing many musical acts including The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones and Peggy Lee.

Later, he joined Robert Stigwood to become President of Stigwood Fitzpatrick Inc. and managed such groups as Cream and The Bee Gees. He founded, along with Stigwood, Casserole Music Corporation and served as its CEO and President. He served on the Board of Hair's Natoma Entertainment Group, produced Hermione Baddeley in the stage presentation of Why Not Tonite? and produced the Emmy Award winning "Underground" with Chuck Collins in Chicago. He managed many well known musical acts during this period including Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, Arthur Lee & Love, Peggy Lee, Taj Mahal, The Buckinghams, Shady Lady, Dick Dale & The Del-tones, Dobie Gray, Crabby Appleton and many more. He also managed Don Johnson, Jay North (Dennis the Menace) and Theodore Wilson. He has worked on the soundtracks of many motion pictures including Pulp Fiction, Remember the Titans and The 51st State.

At the time of his death, Fitzpatrick was the President of Allied Artists International, Inc., parent of Allied Artists Pictures, Allied Artists Music Group and the various Allied Artists Entertainment Ventures. Throughout his career, Fitzpatrick worked as President and CEO of Vista Ave Entertainment Group, a multi faceted film and music company, RFO Entertainment, a management and production company and the Robert Fitzpatrick Organization. Shortly before his death, Fitzpatrick was interviewed by the Archives of Music Preservation in what is believed to be his last interview, speaking about representing The Beatles.

In 1975 Fitzpatrick was appointed President of California Institute of the Arts (colloquially known as CalArts), where he remained for 12 years. CalArts is an arts institute in Valencia, California, offering undergraduate and graduate arts degrees in visual arts, music, theatre, film and video, dance, animation, and creative writing. In 1987 he resigned as President of CalArts to take the position of head of EuroDisney in Paris.

During his tenure at CalArts, Fitzpatrick served as the director of the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival in Los Angeles, California. He was also the founder and director of the Los Angeles Festival, which grew directly out of the 1984 Olympic Games.

From 1987 to 1993, he served as CEO of Euro Disney Resort, overseeing the creation of the $4 billion theme park and resort: Euro Disneyland, 7 resort hotels, and a dining, entertainment and shopping district (Festival Disney). The resort opened in April 1992, and Fitzpatrick left the company following year.

In 1996, Fitzpatrick became the dean of the School of the Arts at Columbia University in New York City, serving there for two years. He joined the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago as its Director and CEO in 1998, holding the longest tenure of any director to date. During his tenure, MCA was awarded the Arts Presenters/MetLife Foundation Award for Excellence in Arts Access.

In February 2008 Fitzpatrick left his position at MCA in order to join the London-based (and Christie's-owned) gallery Haunch of Venison as its international managing director, where he oversaw the opening of Haunch New York, housed at Rockefeller Center. He stepped down from that post in March 2009.

Fitzpatrick is the father of Michael Fitzpatrick, the titular "Fitz" of the neo soul band Fitz and the Tantrums.