Lewis B. Cullman, an investment banker and arts patron who, with his second wife, Dorothy, gave hundreds of millions to cultural and educational institutions in New York City over many years and helped charities raise millions more, died on Friday in Stamford, Conn. He was 100.



His death, at Stamford Hospital, was confirmed by his current wife, Louise Hirschfeld Cullman. He had homes in nearby Darien, Conn., and Manhattan.

The scion of a family that owned the Benson & Hedges and Philip Morris tobacco companies, Mr. Cullman was born into wealth, made fortunes in business and on Wall Street, and sat on the boards of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the New York Botanical Garden and many hospitals, universities and corporations.

Jauntily dressed in colorful shirts and ties, Mr. Cullman was a lively presence in board rooms and, with Dorothy Cullman, cut a figure of warm fellowship at charity balls and fund-raisers. While his father and two of his brothers built tobacco empires, Mr. Cullman made most of his millions in a company that produced and sold desk calendars and appointment books.