Sidney W. Dean, Jr. |
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| The Ex-Admen: Dean |
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by Michael Schiffrin for Madison Avenue, Mar.1962,
p.54-55 |
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| Further from Madison Avenue than the Strollers
Theatre-Club, but perhaps closer tn the ordinary conception of "business,"
is the Washington Square headquarters of Ventures Development Corporation,
a two-month old enterprise run by Sidney W. Dean Jr. Until the first of
this year Dean was a vice president and marketing director of Interpublic,
Inc.; from 1927 te 1942 he was at J. Walter Thompson. Now 56, Dean's leaving McCann was in no sense a retirement. He is busier than ever, and has to hold a tight rein on the projects that he tackles. Ventures Development accepts a limited number of new product and service ideas--on a participating investment basis--carrying them from inception through introduction and marketing. They may vary from publications and broadcasting to food and chemicals. A rough count of the profit ventures to which his organization is giving "valued judgment" totals over 100. Of these, nine or ten are presently under actual "development management," but are temporarily on the "confidential" list. "If they're good enough to take on, they're too good to broadcast just yet." Dean chose Washington Square as his base of operations for several reasons. First, he has lived in Greenwich Village for over 20 years. Second, it is halfway between Wall Street and the midtown corporate and communications headquarters. Third, he has participated in many Village civic and political activities. He is on the Greenwich Village Planning Board under the Borough President's office, and is chairman of its Committee on Unification Through Districting. He had just decided Washington Square North would be the ideal spot when he had an opportunity to obtain an apartment in the seven-story professional and residential building. He is shown atop the building, where he also enjoys all roof rights. On the floor below he is remodeling "a railroad flat" into comfortable living quarters and professional offices. Chances are the man in the street won't be on as solid ground as Dean in picking the right properties; his long experience in marketing products and services served him well a few years ago when he created Launderette stores. This was between jobs at Thompson and McCann and just after service with both the O.S.S. and the Air Force. He does admit to having backed the wrong horse occasionally. |
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