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Jon Meade Huntsman, Sr. (born 1937 in Blackfoot, Idaho) is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of Huntsman Corporation. He is the father of current United States Ambassador to China and former Governor of Utah Jon Huntsman Jr.

Biography

Early life and education

Jon M. Huntsman was born in Blackfoot, Idaho. His father was a school teacher, his mother a homemaker, so Jon grew up in poverty. The family moved to Palo Alto, California in 1950, where Jon's father pursued graduate studies at Stanford University. Jon became student body president of Palo Alto High School, where he was recruited by Harold Zellerbach, Chairman of Crown-Zellerbach Paper Company, to attend the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania on a Zellerbach scholarship. He graduated at the top of his class in the spring of 1959. Mr. Huntsman married Karen H. Huntsman in June, 1959, and left in July to serve for two years in the U.S. Navy. He subsequently earned an MBA from the University of Southern California and has been awarded thirteen honorary doctorate degrees at various universities.

Professional career

Jon was first employed by Olson Brothers, Inc., an egg-producing company in Los Angeles. He rose through the ranks to the position of Vice President of Operations, and his leadership was key in developing the first plastic egg carton. In 1967, Jon became President of Dolco Packaging Corporation, a joint venture between Olson Brothers, Inc. and Dow Chemical Company. He left Dolco in 1970 to form Huntsman Container Corporation with his brother, Blaine, and others in Fullerton, California. While the company's first packaging plant was being built in 1971, Mr. Huntsman joined the Nixon Administration as Associate Administrator of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare and later served as Special Assistant and Staff Secretary to President Nixon. Upon completion of the second Huntsman Container site in Troy, Ohio in 1972, Jon left the White House staff to become President and CEO. In 1974, Huntsman Container Corporation created the "clamshell" container for McDonald's Big Mac and developed other popular products, including the first plastic plates, bowls and fast-food containers. After completion of its first international site at Skelmersdale, England, Huntsman Container Corporation was sold to Keyes Fiber Company, and Mr. Huntsman served as CEO of the container business for four more years and held a directorship of Keyes Fiber Company. He then founded Huntsman Chemical and in his capacity as CEO and Chairman, grew the business into the multi-billion dollar company which became known in 1994 as Huntsman Corporation. In 2001, Huntsman announced that his companies could not make their interests on junk bonds.^[1] Huntsman Corporation became publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange in 2005. In 2007, Huntsman co-founded a new private equity firm, Huntsman Gay Global Capital, joining former Bain Capital executive Robert C. Gay to focus on investments in middle market companies. Among Huntsman's partners is Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young.

Philanthropic efforts

Jon M. Huntsman Hall at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Mr. Huntsman is widely recognized as one of America’s foremost concerned citizens and philanthropists. His lifetime humanitarian giving, including contributions to the homeless, the ill and the under-privileged, exceeds $1.2 billion and has assisted thousands, both domestically and internationally. The Chronicle of Philanthropy placed Mr. Huntsman second on their 2007 list of largest donors. The Salt Lake Tribune (Jan 1, 2000) included Mr. Huntsman among “The 10 Utahns Who Most Influenced Our State in the 20th Century.” In 2001, Mr. Huntsman was presented the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In 2003, he received the Humanitarian of the Year Award. The Chronicle of Philanthropy placed Mr. Huntsman in the second place position on their 2007 list of largest donors. (Dec 2007) And in November, 2008, the American Cancer Society presented to Mr. Huntsman its Medal of Honor for Cancer Philanthropy.

One of his most notable causes is the Huntsman Cancer Institute, of which Mr. Huntsman is Founder and principal benefactor. Mr. Huntsman and his wife, Karen, founded the Huntsman Cancer Institute in 1995 to accelerate the work of curing cancer through human genetics. The Institute is now one of America's major cancer research centers dedicated to finding a cure for cancer with a state-of-the-art cancer specialty hospital. The HCI building holds this quote "Selfless giving unto others represents one's true wealth."

Other notable causes include: his co-operative fundraising initiatives for his fraternity, Sigma Chi; his support of The Wharton School, in recognition of which one of the school's signature buildings, Huntsman Hall, was named in his honor and he serves as Chairman of the Wharton Board of Overseers; the University of Utah, which named its special events arena after him; a new law library at Brigham Young University, which at his request was named after Howard W. Hunter; notable family philanthropy in earthquake ravaged Armenia and a new library at Southern Utah University, which he also requested be named after someone else (retiring SUU President Gerald R. Sherratt); and recently the College of Business at Utah State University. In December 2007, Utah State University announced that its College of Business would be re-named "The Jon M. Huntsman School of Business," in recognition of a gift from Jon and Karen Huntsman of $25 million—the largest in the university's history to that time.

Political contributions

Huntsman supported 2008 US presidential candidate Mitt Romney. He has supported U.S. Senate campaign committees on both sides ofo the aisle, however, stating that he will contribute to the candidate, sitting office holder or party which works for funding for cancer research.

Personal life and church service

Huntsman has been married to his wife Karen for more than 50 years, and they are the parents of 9 children and have 56 grandchildren, two of whom are adopted from China and India. Their eldest son, Jon Huntsman, Jr., was elected governor of Utah in 2004, and later became ambassador to China. Their second eldest son, Peter R. Huntsman, Sr., took over as CEO of the Huntsman Corporation from Huntsman in 2000.

He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and serves as an Area Seventy and as a member of the Fifth Quorum of the Seventy. He has also served as a stake president and as President of the Washington, D.C. Mission from 1980 to 1983.

Legacy

Huntsman authored and published the book "Winners Never Cheat: Everyday Values We Learned as Children (But May Have Forgotten)" in 2005, published by Wharton School Publishing. In the book, Huntsman conveys moral lessons drawn from his life's experience. The second edition is entitled Winners Never Cheat: Even in Difficult Times, which made the Wall Street Journal’s Best Sellers list.

The Deseret News ran a long article on Huntsman in May 2001. In this article, the Democratic mayor of Salt Lake City, Rocky Anderson, said the following about Huntsman, who is typically perceived to be conservative:

"I was impressed with Jon from the first, when he told me he lost respect for Richard Nixon (Huntsman served as a special assistant to then-President Nixon in the early 1970s) when he learned that Nixon had not given anything to charity one year he was president ... It was clear to me that Jon's real motivation in his work and accumulation of wealth was to give much of what he has to make people's lives better."

Wealth

Once an acknowledged member of the Forbes 400, where he was ranked the 47th richest man alive, Mr. Huntsman's current wealth is not disclosed. His intention, however, is "to die broke," having donated his fortune to cancer research and the effort to eradicate the disease from the face of the earth.

References

External links

• Huntsman Cancer Foundation.
• Jon M. Huntsman from Utah History Encyclopedia.
• Huntsman Corporation
• Philanthropy videos of Jon Huntsman from Salt Lake City to Armenia GoodTube.org
• Glenn Beck Show - Audio/Transcript of Interview - January 31, 2008