LIMA Co-Founder Murray Altchuler, who served as the association’s first executive director from 1985-1997, died on Sunday at age 87.

A WWII Army veteran, he began his licensing career in the early 1960s at Licensing Corp. of America – the forerunner to Warner Bros. Consumer Products. In 1979 he co-founded and became President of the Licensing Industry Association, an organization of licensors & agents. In 1985, he presided over the merger of LIA with the Licensed Merchandisers’ Association (LMA) to form LIMA, and became our first Executive Director. Murray led LIMA through the early years, creating a solid foundation from which the Association grew into the focal point of the worldwide licensing industry.

Murray was a Charter Member (1989) of the LIMA Licensing Industry Hall of Fame. He retired from LIMA in December 1997.

“Murray Altchuler was a visionary with a distinguished career in licensing. He will be missed by the entire industry, especially those of us at LIMA,” said President Charles Riotto. “We mourn with the entire Altchuler family for this tremendous loss.”

He is survived by his wife, Fran; son Steven Altchuler, his wife Debbie, and their children Joshua and Amy; daughter Fran Schwartz, her husband Marvin and sons Matthew, David & Sam; and stepson Mark Klein, his wife Hollis and their three daughters.