Joel Goldberg

(1925 - 2010)

Born in Massachusetts, Joel served at a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy during World War II, graduated from Dartmouth, and began his career at Filene’s in Boston. He came to Atlanta in 1954 as an apparel buyer at Rich’s Department Store.

During his 30 years at Rich’s, Goldberg became president in 1971 and chairman and chief executive officer in 1977. Joel married Carole Brockey, and they had three children: Jeff, James, and Debra. Goldberg expressed his deep commitment to social and health services through his position as St. Joseph’s Hospital board chair.

The National Republican Congressional Committee awarded Goldberg the Ronald Reagan Republican Gold Medal for his distinguished business leadership and contributions to his community’s economic health. In 2000, Joel received an honorary doctorate from Oglethorpe University, an organization he had served as a trustee. His obituary in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution noted that he “was a man who walked tall in the Atlanta community.”