JACOBS, DAVID H. (4 May 1921-17 Sept. 1992), real estate developer and co-owner of the CLEVELAND INDIANS, was born in Akron the son of V. R. Jacobs. He attended Buchtel High School in the late 1930s and served in the Navy during WORLD WAR II piloting blimps. Jacobs obtained a degree in Business Administration from Indiana University in 1947, and by 1952 he and partner Lewis W. Mead had organized Mead-Jacobs, a real estate property management firm, and his brother Richard soon joined the firm. Their first construction project in Cleveland was the 5-story Puritas Center at W. 150th St and Puritas Rd. built in 1954. By 1965, Meade-Jacobs had become Visconsi, Mead-Jacobs and later Jacobs, Visconsi & Jacobs Co. In 1988 the Jacobs brothers bought Dominic Visconsi's interest, forming the Richard and David Jacobs Group. As Vice Chairman of the Board, David acted as supervisor of their construction projects. The brothers developed real estate conglomerate with 41 regional shopping centers as well as major office buildings and hotels, including The Galleria and Society Center in Cleveland. Richard and David Jacobs bought control of the Cleveland Indians in 1986. David, who owned 25% of the team, was particularly interested developing the Indians' farm system to improve the franchise.
David and his wife Barbara had three children, David Jr., John, and Marie Bell. A resident of of BAY VILLAGE, Jacobs died in Westlake and was buried at Lakewood Park Cemetery.