John Sperling facts for kids

John Glen Sperling (January 9, 1921 – August 22, 2014) was a very successful American businessman. He became a billionaire by starting the University of Phoenix in 1976. This university was created for adults who were working and wanted to go to college. It became a big part of the Apollo Group. John Sperling was known for making higher education more like a business. He focused on using technology and marketing to help more people learn. Many people described him as an "eccentric" (meaning a bit unusual) self-made man. He was interested in many things, from cloning pets to green energy.

Early Life and Education

John Sperling grew up in a poor family in the Missouri Ozarks. His father worked for the railroad. His mother was a very religious Christian. When he was younger, he spent several years as a sailor. He also traveled around as a "beatnik" in the 1950s.

He went to Reed College in Oregon for his first degree. Then, he earned a master's degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He used the G.I. Bill to help pay for his studies. Later, he went to King's College, Cambridge in England. There, he earned his PhD in economic history. His PhD paper was about how trade worked in England in the 1700s.

Building a Business

The Apollo Group

The Apollo Group was a large company based in Phoenix, Arizona. It owned several schools that aimed to make a profit. These schools were later bought by other companies.

John Sperling started the Apollo Group in 1973. He founded the University of Phoenix when he was in his 50s. He didn't have investors or much business experience at first. He faced challenges from other schools and organizations.

The company owned and ran several colleges. These included the University of Phoenix, Western International University, and others. By 2005, about 315,350 students were enrolled in these schools. Most of them attended the University of Phoenix. It was known as the largest private university in the United States.

Apollo Group also owned BPP University in the United Kingdom. They also bought colleges in Chile and Mexico.

University of Phoenix

The University of Phoenix is a school that operates to make a profit. It was part of the Apollo Group. John Sperling started it because he felt that working adults were often overlooked at traditional colleges.

The first class in 1976 had only eight students. The school grew quickly. In 1980, it opened in San Jose, California. By 1989, the university started its online learning program.

At one point, the university had over 420,000 students. It had more than 200 campuses around the world. It offered many different degrees, from associate to doctoral levels. The University of Phoenix had an "open enrollment" policy. This means you only needed a high school diploma or GED to apply. Students could also get college credit for their past work experience or training.

Being an Activist

Before he became a businessman, John Sperling was a professor. He taught at San Jose State University. In the 1960s, he was very active in supporting liberal causes. He helped create a strong faculty union in California. He also had disagreements with university leaders. These were about his new ideas for adult education.

Science and Research

Researching Longer Lives

John Sperling spent a lot of his time and money on research. He wanted to find ways to help people live longer. This is called life extension research. Wired magazine reported in 2004 that he planned to donate his large fortune to human biology research. This would have been the biggest private program for human biology ever. Later, Sperling said his money would mostly go to environmental causes.

Animal Cloning

Sperling also helped fund a company called Genetic Savings & Clone. This company worked on cloning animals. He spent seven years and $20 million trying to clone a dog named Missy. This project was called Missyplicity. Clones of Missy were successfully created in 2007.

A smaller project, called Operation CopyCat, was also successful. It created the first cloned cat, named CC.

His Books

For-profit Higher Education

In 1997, John Sperling wrote a book with Robert W Tucker. It was called For-profit Higher Education: Developing a World-class Workforce.

This book talked about how different types of colleges are funded. It looked at public, private non-profit, and private for-profit schools. The authors argued that for-profit universities could actually save taxpayers money. This was because they didn't rely as much on direct government funding or tax breaks.

There were some disagreements about their ideas. Today, the student loan default rate for for-profit schools is higher than for public or non-profit schools. This changes some of the financial arguments. The book also discussed how regional groups that approve schools can sometimes make it hard for new ideas to start.

Rebel with a Cause

In 2000, Sperling published his own life story. It was called Rebel with a Cause.

One reviewer, Alex Lightman, said the book was very honest. It talked about Sperling's poor childhood and his struggles. It also covered his fights over school approvals and his investments in cloning. The book showed how he built the Apollo Group into a very successful company. Lightman felt the book set new standards for how CEOs should reflect on their lives and what success means.

The Great Divide: Retro vs. Metro America

In 2004, he co-wrote another book. It was called The Great Divide: Retro vs. Metro America. This book tried to explain the cultural and political differences in the United States. It talked about the "Red America" and "Blue America" divide.

The book suggested that the U.S. was like two different nations. One was traditional and looked to the past. The other was modern and focused on the future. The authors said these two "nations" were divided by race, culture, religion, and where people lived. They argued that political conflicts were not just about left or right ideas. Instead, they were about the differences between "Metro America" (coasts and Great Lakes states) and "Retro America."

The book suggested that the Democratic Party should focus on Metro states. This is because Metro states have 65 percent of the population. The authors believed this would help the party build a strong base.

See also

• Biological immortality
• For-profit higher education in the United States
• Futures studies
• Life extension
• Longevity
• University of Phoenix