Warren Hellman Meadow: Supes Propose Renaming Golden Gate Park Field After Banjo Pickin' Billionaire (VIDEO)

San Francisco seems to be having a one percent type of day.

First, the city evicts the Occupy SF encampment near Justin Herman Plaza, and now, the Board of Supervisors has voted to recommend renaming Golden Gate Park's Speedway Meadow after a billionaire financial titan.

But Warren Hellman isn't your ordinary billionaire financial titan, and Speedway Meadow is no ordinary meadow.

The 77-year old private equity kingpin became a San Francisco institution when he started funding Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, an annual music festival in Golden Gate Park that draws up to three-quarters of a million music fans every year. Unlike other Bay Area music festivals, Hellman's festival is completely free--paid for entirely out of his own pocket.

Supervisor Sean Elsbernd, who introduced the measure, said he's doing it as a way to thank Hellman for his generosity.

"He really lived the credo he repeated often--'You give where you live,'" Elsbernd told the San Francisco Examiner. "Renaming Speedway Meadow in his honor is a very nice thing to do as a small token of our appreciation for all that he has done."

Hellman's civic involvement doesn't stop with the festival. He is also the chairman of the New York Times-affiliated non-profit news organization The Bay Citizen (although he plays no editorial role there) and was one of the most prominent supporters of this November's successful pension reform measure, Proposition C.

He was also the driving force behind the installation of the controversial underground parking garage between Golden Gate Park's California Academy of Sciences and de Young Museum.

"I am absolutely blown away by this gesture," Hellman said in a statement to The Bay Citizen. "Golden Gate Park is home to some of the best (and worst) moments of my life: family picnics with my wife, kids and grandkids, morning runs, over a decade of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and of course, the longest eight years of my life building the underground garage. There are no words and my fingers couldn't pluck a tune to express my gratitude. My only hope is that others experience the joy and happiness I've found standing, singing, plunking and listening in this beautiful meadow."

While Hellman is the grandson influential California banker and philanthropist Isaias Hellman, his fortune is largely self-made. He was the president of the now-defunct investment-banking firm Lehman Brothers until the early 1980s when he founded the private equity firm Hellman & Friedman LLC.

The proposal to rename the field will have to be voted on by the Recreation and Parks Commission before becoming a reality.

Check out this video of Hellman leading his band, The Wronglers, on a tune in favor of Prop C:

Comments

[gldkarma]

04:30 AM on 12/09/2011

Speedway Meadow has been home to Jimmy's Old Car Picnic held by a long-time groundskeeper to raise money for special needs programs formerly sponsored by the Parks Dept. with your tax dollars--until it was decided that these programs didn't raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the City and they were cancelled and the two program coordinators let go. Participants in the family picnic for over 23 yrs. have to embark on a letter-writing and telephone campaign every year now to get the permit for the event approved and pay an EXHORBITANT event fee which has more than doubled the vehicle entry fee which used to go entirely to the special needs programs that private efforts are trying to piece back together. The mentally challenged don't understand why they won't be taking their annual trip to the zoo or be having a Christmas party with Santa Claus this year. Hardly Strictly is a great event, even if the numbers of participants tax the environment and facilities available, however this blatant attempt by the Parks Dept. to limit the park's use by taxpayers and families who have held their activities there for years to cater to the 1% is disgusting. I'm sure Mr. Hellman is a fine man, but in the spirit of a long record of community service, I propose naming it Jimmy's Meadow or Chet Helms Meadow if there's a need to change it's original historic moniker.

[NamithaSF]

12:15 PM on 12/08/2011

Hellman did the supes a solid by being part of the pension negotiations that lead to Prop C.
This same group excluded Jeff Adachi, the public defender. Hellman was there to supposedly represent the private sector......LOL.

This is payback for a favor. SF govt is corrupt and inept and mean spirited as it gets. Worse than Chicago. At least Chicago convicts corrupt pols.

[360Dunk]

10:12 AM on 12/08/2011

What other bluegrass festival has a performance of old school hip hop featuring MC Hammer?

[zombywulf]

01:52 AM on 12/08/2011

dammit i hate this damn thing when it won't let you edit and posts by itself

[zombywulf]

01:50 AM on 12/08/2011

Only if we get the polo grounds named after Jerry Garcia and Marks Meadow named Gragteful Dead Meadow.

[Roy l Payne]

11:34 AM on 12/08/2011

Totally "right on"!
I had many great times boogying to the Dead in GG park and in the Haight. An American Institution, much more deserving of the honor.

[EatMeSF]

12:53 AM on 12/08/2011

no way, dont do it.....

[gevan]

10:12 PM on 12/07/2011

How about renaming San Francisco as Nortonville?