Doug Manchester facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Doug Manchester
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Doug Manchester in 2019
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Douglas Frederick Manchester
June 3, 1942 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | San Diego State University (B.A.) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Political party | Republican |
Douglas Frederick Manchester (born June 3, 1942) is an American businessman and someone who gives a lot of money to good causes, known as a philanthropist. He is often called "Papa Doug." He used to lead the Manchester Financial Group and was also the owner and publisher of The San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper.
Doug Manchester is famous for building some of the tallest hotels and office buildings in San Diego, California. These include the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina and the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego. He also played a big part in developing the San Diego Convention Center. He built the fancy Grand Del Mar Resort & Spa, which was later sold to Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. He also built the Fairmont Austin hotel and is currently working on the Manchester Pacific Gateway project.
Manchester supports conservative ideas and the Republican Party. He gave money to a California law in 2008 that aimed to ban gay marriage. This led some people to call for a boycott of his hotels. He was also an early supporter of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Later, he was nominated to be the United States ambassador to the Bahamas, but this nomination was eventually withdrawn.
Contents
Early Life and School
Doug Manchester was born in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in Coronado, California and the Pacific Beach area of San Diego. His father managed an apartment building there.
High School and College
He went to La Jolla High School where he played football. After high school, he attended San Diego State College, which is now San Diego State University. He was part of a fraternity called Sigma Chi. While in college, he worked as a representative for an insurance company. He graduated in 1965 with a degree in Business.
Building and Business Projects
After finishing college, Doug Manchester started working in real estate. In 1970, he created his own company, the Manchester Financial Group. He became well-known for building large, fancy projects.
Key Buildings in San Diego
In the 1980s, Manchester built a 27-story office building called the Columbia Centre, now known as 1 Columbia Place. He also built the Inter-Continental San Diego, which is now the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. In the 1990s, he built the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego. He later sold both of these hotels. He also built The Fairmont Grand Del Mar, a luxury resort. This resort was sold in 2015 to Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and an investor named Richard Blum.
Other Major Projects
Manchester also started two banks: the La Jolla Bank and Trust Company in 1973 and La Jolla Pacific Savings Bank in 1984. He built the 595-foot-tall Fairmont Austin Hotel in Austin, Texas, which was finished in 2018. He is also building the Manchester Pacific Gateway, a large project on the waterfront in downtown San Diego.
Revitalizing San Diego
His work has helped to make the San Diego downtown waterfront a more lively place. Manchester was very important in convincing the city of San Diego to build the San Diego Convention Center. His company, Manchester Financial Group, also helped change Navy Field and San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter into popular places for tourists.
Newspaper Ownership
In 2011, Manchester bought The San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper. In 2012, he bought another newspaper, the North County Times, and combined it with the Union-Tribune. In 2013, he bought eight more local weekly newspapers in the San Diego area. In 2015, Manchester sold The San Diego Union-Tribune to Tribune Publishing Company.
Current Business Interests
As of 2017, Manchester was in charge of many companies. These included Landmark Construction Company, Torrey Executive Centre, and The Grand Del Mar. He also had investments in large companies like Disney, Apple, and Wal-Mart. He is the sole owner of several other investment companies.
Pacific Gateway Project
In 2018, it was reported that Manchester was about to start his biggest project in San Diego yet: the Pacific Gateway. This is a huge plan to redevelop the Navy Complex in downtown San Diego. It is described as the largest and most expensive project in downtown San Diego's history. The project will cover eight blocks along the oceanfront. It will include a new Navy headquarters, three office towers, shops, an 1100-room hotel, a smaller luxury hotel, a museum, a park, and a walking path along the waterfront.
Political Involvement
Doug Manchester is a strong supporter of conservative ideas. He gives money to Republican candidates at both local and national levels. He once said that Donald Rumsfeld was his hero.
Newspaper and Politics
When he bought the Union-Tribune newspaper, he said he wanted to use it to support conservative causes. The newspaper's editorial page then became very conservative. It even used special front-page sections to promote building projects and political candidates. Some people felt he was using the newspaper to push his own political and business ideas.
Support for Proposition 8
In 2008, he gave $125,000 to support a state law that would ban same-sex marriage. This law was called California Proposition 8. Manchester explained that his Catholic faith led him to believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Because of his strong support for this law, some groups called for people to boycott his hotels. However, at a Senate hearing in 2017, he said he now regrets supporting the law and believes same-sex marriage should be legal. He called his earlier opposition "a huge mistake."
Supporting Donald Trump
Manchester was an early supporter of Donald Trump's presidential campaign. He donated a lot of money to Trump's campaign and was a delegate for Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention. After Trump became president, Manchester said that for the first time, a "true capitalist" was in the White House.
Ambassador Nomination
In May 2017, President Trump nominated Manchester to become the United States ambassador to The Bahamas. Manchester owns a house there. If he had become ambassador, he would have given up daily control of his businesses. He appeared before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations several times. His nomination was controversial and was eventually withdrawn by President Trump in November 2019. During questioning, Manchester mistakenly called the Bahamas a U.S. protectorate instead of an independent country.
Giving Back to the Community
Doug Manchester is known for his philanthropy, which means he gives a lot of money to help others.
Donations to Universities and Schools
He donated $5 million each to San Diego State University and Wake Forest University. He also made large donations to the University of San Diego and The Bishop's School. When he gave money to San Diego State, the university changed the name of its Centennial Hall to Manchester Hall. This was the first time the university had named a building after a former student.
Support for Charities
He supports the Child Abuse Prevention Foundation in San Diego County. He also gives money to the Preuss School, Monarch School, Polinsky Children's Center, and the Southern California Boys and Girls Club. He also contributes to Scripps Memorial Hospital and San Diego Diocesan Ministries. He helped start the San Diego Crime Commission and the San Diego Port Tenants Association.
Manchester donated money to build the maternity wing at Scripps Memorial Hospital. He also helped build the football stadium for Cathedral Catholic High School. He was a founding leader of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society of United Way. He also gives money to St. Vincent de Paul and the National Conference of Christians and Jews.
He used to be a trustee for the University of San Diego and Wake Forest University. He has also served on the boards of the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and the San Diego Symphony.
Personal Life
In January 1965, Doug Manchester married Elizabeth "Betsy" Manchester. They met while they were both students at San Diego State. They had five children and thirteen grandchildren. They divorced in 2013. In December 2013, he married Geniya Derzhavina, and they had three children. They divorced in December 2019.
Recognition
Many buildings and facilities are named after Doug Manchester because of his generous donations.
- At Wake Forest University: Manchester Plaza and Manchester Hall.
- At the University of San Diego: Douglas F. Manchester Executive Conference Center, Manchester Family Child Development Center, and Manchester Village Apartments.
- At The Bishop's School: Manchester Library & Learning Center.
- Manchester Stadium, the home field for Cathedral Catholic High School, is also named for him.
Images for kids
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Doug Manchester in 2019
