George Macaulay Irwin

He resided in his hometown of Quincy, Illinois until his death at Blessing Hospital on November 24, 2020. His obituary was published on November 24, 2020 by the Quincy Herald-Whig.

From 1961 to 1971, Irwin served as a chairman on the board of directors for Quincy Compressor Company, a division of Colt Industries.

Irwin was the collector of 20th century art by American artists, and starting in 1950, he commissioned works from American composers, painters, and sculptors for his collection.

Irwin then attended the University of Michigan and graduated in 1943.

Upon college graduation, Irwin moved back to Quincy, Illinois and worked at Irwin Paper Company from 1943 to 1969. He was the Personnel Director of the company from 1950 to 1969. In 1947, Irwin became the editor of Adventure in Enterprise, a biography of Leaton Irwin, the man who founded Irwin Paper Co. in 1887. Irwin served as a chairman on the board of directors at Irwin Paper Company, the Peoria Paper House, Inc. and the Decatur Paper House Inc. from 1961 to 1969.

Irwin was born and raised in Quincy, Illinois and graduated from Quincy Public Schools in 1939.

George Macaulay Irwin (May 2, 1921 – November 24, 2020) was an American expert in the arts and a businessman, editor, musician and conductor. Irwin is known for his work with arts organizations on the local, state, and national levels, as well as his efforts in preserving historic architecture. He was also the founder of America's first arts council, the Quincy Society of Fine Arts, the founder and first chairman of the Illinois Arts Council, founder and first president of the Americans for the Arts (formerly American Council for the Arts), and worked as a consultant on the committee that established the National Endowment for the Arts.