Former honorary president of Mensa who raised organisation's profile in Republic

DAVID SCHULMAN : DAVID SCHULMAN, who has died aged 80, was honorary president of Mensa International from 2000 to 2006

DAVID SCHULMAN: DAVID SCHULMAN, who has died aged 80, was honorary president of Mensa International from 2000 to 2006. Described by Irish Mensa administrator Shabnam Vasisht as the "quintessential Mensan", he filled many positions in the organisation since joining it in 1977.

He enthusiastically sought to attract new members from the 2 per cent of the population that statistics showed were eligible for membership, those who have an IQ of 148 or more.

As publicity officer for Irish Mensa, his interviews in the media led to many inquiries about the organisation. And he ensured that there was a Mensa presence at the Young Scientist Exhibition for many years.

With regard to Mensa’s method of measuring IQ, he said: “When people hear about the test they immediately think it is going to be tricky, that we are out to trip them up. If we were going to measure a person’s height we would not use a bent ruler, and as we are out to measure their IQs, similarly, we use a straight form of measuring.”

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In 2006, he called on schools to cater for the “special needs” of children with high IQs. A high pupil-teacher ratio, teachers’ work overload and the lack of teacher-training in challenging “gifted” children were leading to frustration among teachers and parents, he said.

Born in Manchester in 1930, he was the youngest of four children of Phillip and Flora Schulman. He attended Manchester Grammar School, where he excelled.

His father having died, at 21 he took over the family business, which manufactured and wholesaled light fittings, rather than go to university. He spent his national service in the Royal Air Force.

He moved to Ireland in 1958 and joined his wife’s family furniture business, Radnor’s of Mary Street in Dublin, succeeding his father-in-law as managing director.

In 1970 he was called to give evidence at the tribunal of inquiry into the Seven Days programme on illegal moneylending. A licensed moneylender, he told the tribunal that he had been invited to appear on the programme but had declined, saying he knew nothing about illegal moneylending. But he said he remembered hearing that when women went round selling fish from barrows they also made loans. The tribunal accepted his evidence.

A former captain of Edmondstown golf club, he once set off to play golf and returned with a house. It transpired that he wandered into an auction during which he scribbled his guesstimate of the value on a scrap of paper and slipped it to a friend beside him.

When the hammer came down, his friend congratulated him as the new owner; he had assumed Schulman wanted him to bid on his behalf.

His membership of Mensa helped him to travel around the world, meeting new people and forming lasting friendships. British Mensa chairman Chris Tyler remembered him as “a real gentleman, charming, witty and always immaculately dressed, with a heart of gold”.

A volunteer for the Irish Heart Foundation and Dublin Zoo, he also helped to run the library for the National Council for the Blind of Ireland.

Predeceased by his wife Anne, he is survived by his daughter Lynda and son Paul.


David Henry Schulman: born May 1st, 1930; died January 18th, 2011