Murray H. Goodman, a prominent real estate developer who pioneered the concept of the super-regional shopping mall, passed away at the age of 99.
Goodman was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 10, 1925, the son of Lithuanian immigrants. He served for two-and-a-half years in the US Army Air Force before attending Lehigh University, where he was the basketball team captain in 1947; he graduated in 1948 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Goodman was the founder and sole owner of The Goodman Company, a real estate development firm that launched in 1960. Originally based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the company later relocated to West Palm Beach, Florida. During his career, Goodman developed more than 25 million square feet of commercial real estate, amassing a portfolio of office, hotel and retail properties across multiple states. Goodman gained prominence for developing super-regional shopping malls that combined retail, restaurants and entertainment in a single location. His prominent projects included the 1.2 million-square-foot Granite Run Mall outside of Philadelphia and the 1.1 million-square-foot Westmoreland Mall located near Pittsburgh.
Goodman was also a prominent philanthropist, serving as the benefactor of Lehigh University’s Goodman Campus, Goodman Stadium, Goodman Center of Real Estate in the College of Business and the Murray H. Goodman Dean of Athletics position. He was also a longtime member and trustee of the International Council of Shopping Centers.
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