In Memoriam: Dan Cain
Dan Cain and son Billy at Norman Rockwell Museum’s Rockwell Remington Gala, June 2006.
We are deeply saddened to share news of the recent death of former Norman Rockwell Museum Board President, Dan Cain. Dan was an ardent supporter and champion of the Museum. He was a member of the Board from 1998-2010, serving as president from 2006-2010. His zest for life, powerful personality, and smile lit up a room. Dan did everything with pride and gusto, and his devotion to Norman Rockwell Museum was legendary–he challenged us to be entrepreneurial. He loved Norman Rockwell and believed deeply in the Museum’s mission.
Among Dan’s many contributions was his visionary sponsorship of two outstanding programs—KIDS FREE, which provided the foundation and inspiration for important outreach and ensured that thousands of children could attend the Museum free of charge; and the Executive in Residence Program, which provided valuable research to bring modern tools to our marketing and communications departments. His generous contributions to the Museum endowment, made together with his brother Jim and their firm Cain Brothers, greatly strengthened the Museum’s financial foundation to navigate the 2008 recession.
One of Dan’s permanent and lasting tributes to the Museum was his work to secure the donation of Norman Rockwell’s iconic Telephone Lineman painting from Verizon. Painted by Norman Rockwell for an advertisement for AT&T in 1948, the painting moved from company to company through the break-up of AT&T and the reconsolidation of modern communications companies. Dan was concerned that the painting might someday find its way out of the country through a corporate merger and was instrumental in working with the board and CEO of Verizon to make this extraordinary gift. Revered by communication workers, the painting will always have a home at the Museum. We are forever grateful.
Norman Rockwell (1894-1978), “The Lineman,” 1948. Oil on canvas, 57” x 42.347”. Illustration for AT&T advertisement. Norman Rockwell Museum Collection, gift of Verizon. ©Norman Rockwell Family Agency. All rights reserved.
Dan’s beloved wife, Kathy, was his devoted partner and together they were always at the forefront of our outreach, chairing important fundraising events. 2006’s Rockwell/Remington Gala is remembered as one of our all-time favorite parties, with celebrity guests, bidding on Museum auctions, and exuding a Rockwellian bonhomie, ensuring that future Museum events would be enjoyed and remembered by all.
In 1982, Dan, along with his brother, Jim, co-founded Cain Brothers, an investment bank focused exclusively on health care. Dan began his investment banking career in the mid-1970s at Blyth Eastman Dillon and later worked at Salomon Brothers before forming Cain Brothers. Most recently, Dan served as a Trustee of American Heart Association, as Board Chairman of Hancock Shaker Village, an Overseer of Columbia Business School, and also as a member of the Cain Brother’s Executive Committee. Dan was a graduate of Brown University and earned an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Join us by keeping Kathy, their son Billy, and Dan’s family and friends in your thoughts. The Museum is so fortunate to have had his dedication and leadership.
—Laurie Norton Moffatt, Director/CEO, Norman Rockwell Museum