Raymond D. Nasher, 85; banker, arts patron helped start 2 museums

Raymond D. Nasher, 85, an arts patron who helped set up museums in Texas and North Carolina and made a fortune in banking and real estate, died Friday at a Dallas hospital. The cause of death was not released.

Nasher and his late wife, Patsy, amassed what one expert described as the “world’s greatest private collection of modern and contemporary sculpture.” The real estate developer was also considered a pioneer in placing sculptures in commercial complexes.

The $70-million Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, which was designed by Renzo Piano and opened in 2003, includes pieces by Henry Moore, Alberto Giacometti, Richard Serra and Alexander Calder.

In 2005, the Nasher Museum of Art opened at Duke University, his alma mater. He gave $10 million to fund construction of the $23-million museum and lent his private collection for its exhibits. On display there were Andy Warhol portraits of Nasher’s wife and their daughters -- Andrea, Joanie and Nancy -- that had previously hung only in the hallway outside the couple’s bedroom.

Nasher served on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities under the last three presidents. During Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration, he was a delegate to the General Assembly of the United Nations. Since 1995 he had served on the Council on Foreign Relations.

Born in Boston, Nasher earned his bachelor’s degree from Duke in 1943. He served in the Navy during World War II before returning to college, earning his master’s from Boston University in 1950. He later got a law degree from Southern Methodist University.