Jon Huntsman Sr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jon Huntsman Sr.
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| White House Staff Secretary | |
| In office February 22, 1971 – January 1, 1972 |
|
| President | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | John Brown |
| Succeeded by | Bruce A. Kehrli |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jon Meade Huntsman
June 21, 1937 Blackfoot, Idaho, U.S. |
| Died | February 2, 2018 (aged 80) Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Karen Haight |
| Children | 9, including Jon and Peter |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BS) University of Southern California (MBA) |
| Awards | Othmer Gold Medal (2004) Bower Award (2015) Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy (2015) |
Jon Meade Huntsman Sr. (born June 21, 1937 – died February 2, 2018) was a famous American businessman. He was also a very generous person who gave away a lot of his money to help others. He started a big company called Huntsman Corporation. This company makes special chemicals used in many everyday things. For example, they make plastics for containers, fabrics, and even colors for paints. Jon Huntsman Sr. gave away more than $1.5 billion during his life. He mostly helped with cancer research, supported different universities, and gave aid to the country of Armenia.
Contents
Early Life and School
Jon Meade Huntsman was born in Blackfoot, Idaho. His family was not rich. His mother, Sarah, stayed home to care for the family. His father, Alonzo, was a school teacher. In 1950, his family moved to Palo Alto, where his father studied at Stanford University.
Jon Huntsman went to Palo Alto High School. He was even elected as the student body president. He earned a scholarship to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He finished college in 1959.
Soon after graduating, Jon married Karen Haight in June 1959. Both were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jon then served for two years in the U.S. Navy on a ship called the USS Calvert. Later, he earned a master's degree in business from the University of Southern California in 1966.
Building a Business Empire
Starting with Packaging
In 1961, Jon Huntsman worked for an egg company. He noticed that poor packaging caused the company to lose money. He helped create the first plastic egg carton. In 1967, he became president of Dolco Packaging Corporation, a company that made plastic packaging.
Huntsman Container Corporation
Jon Huntsman saw a chance to make packaging for the new fast-food industry. In 1970, he started Huntsman Container Corporation. He even mortgaged his house to get money for the new company. In 1973, the company faced a big problem when oil supplies were cut off. This affected the plastic they needed.
In 1974, his company created the "clamshell" container, which was used for McDonald's Big Mac. They also made the first plastic plates and bowls for fast food. In 1976, Jon sold his company but continued to lead it for four more years.
Growing Huntsman Corporation
In 1982, Jon Huntsman started a new company called Huntsman Chemical Company. He bought many other businesses that made plastics and chemicals. He bought these companies when others thought they were not profitable. Between 1986 and 2000, he bought 36 companies, and 35 of them became very successful!
In 1994, the company changed its name to Huntsman Corporation. In 2000, Jon's son, Peter, became the CEO. Jon Huntsman Sr. remained involved as the Chairman.
The company continued to grow around the world. In 2005, Huntsman Corporation became a public company, meaning its shares could be bought and sold on the stock market. By 2014, the company had 80 factories and research centers in 30 countries. It employed about 12,000 people.
New Investment Firm
In 2007, Jon Huntsman also helped start a new investment company called Huntsman Gay Global Capital. This company helps other businesses grow.
Awards and Honors
Jon Huntsman received many awards for his work and generosity. He was given thirteen honorary degrees from different universities. In 2004, he received the Othmer Gold Medal for his important contributions to science and charity. In 2015, he received the Bower Award from the Franklin Institute.
Family Life and Passing
Jon Huntsman and his wife, Karen, were married for over 58 years. They had nine children: Jon Jr., Peter, Christena, Kathleen, David, Paul, James, Jennifer, and Mark. They had 56 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
His oldest son, Jon Jr., became the Governor of Utah. He also served as a U.S. Ambassador to Singapore, China, and Russia. His second oldest son, Peter, became the CEO of Huntsman Corporation in 2000.
Jon Huntsman wrote a book about his life and important lessons. It was called Winners Never Cheat: Everyday Values We Learned as Children.
Jon Huntsman was a cancer survivor four times. He passed away on February 2, 2018, at his home in Salt Lake City.
Public Service and Politics
Working with President Nixon
In 1970, Jon Huntsman worked for President Richard Nixon. He served as a special assistant in the White House. He helped the President with important tasks. After his time in the White House, he continued to advise the President.
Supporting Presidential Campaigns
He helped with the presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan in 1984 and George H. W. Bush in 1988 and 1992. He was a strong supporter of the Republican Party.
Utah Governor's Race
In 1988, Jon Huntsman thought about running for governor of Utah. He was popular in the polls. However, he decided to drop out of the race. He said that party unity and his business duties were more important. Later, he was appointed as the first Ambassador for Economic Development for Utah.
His Son's Presidential Campaign
Jon Huntsman Sr. also supported his son, Jon Huntsman Jr., when he ran for president in 2012. He helped by donating money to a group that supported his son's campaign.
Helping Others: Philanthropy
Jon Huntsman was known for his huge generosity. He gave away more than $1.5 billion to help people. This included aid for the homeless, the sick, and those in need around the world. He was ranked as one of the biggest American donors. He once said he wanted to "die broke" by giving all his money to charity.
Fighting Cancer
One of his most important causes was the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah. He and his wife, Karen, started it in 1993 with a $10 million gift. They gave another $100 million in 1995! Their goal was to find a cure for cancer. The institute is now a major cancer research center and hospital.
The Huntsman family has given over $656 million to the institute. Jon Huntsman, who survived cancer himself, said, "Except for my family and faith, there is no cause more important to me than fighting cancer."
In 2013, he helped raise $120 million for a new building at the institute. This building is just for children's cancer research. It opened on his 80th birthday in 2017.
Supporting Education
.JPG)
Jon Huntsman also gave a lot of money to universities. The Jon M. Huntsman Center at the University of Utah is a large sports arena named after him. He also supported building a new basketball practice facility there.
He gave over $50 million to his old school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. A main building there, Jon Huntsman Hall, is named in his honor. He also helped create a special program for students to study business and international studies.
In 2007, Utah State University named its business school the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. This was because of a $26 million gift from him and his wife. He also gave money for student scholarships and a new center there.
He supported other libraries and schools, including at Brigham Young University and Southern Utah University.
Helping Armenia
Jon Huntsman also helped the country of Armenia. It was hit by a big earthquake in 1988. He and his family visited Armenia 46 times over 25 years. He gave at least $50 million to help rebuild schools and hospitals there. He even built a factory to make building materials and create jobs. He was given citizenship and two medals of honor by Armenia.
Awards and Recognition
- 1954 – Student Body President, Palo Alto High School
- 1959 – Most Outstanding Student Graduate, University of Pennsylvania
- 1991 – Armenian Medal of Honor
- 1994 – Inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame
- 1997 – Horatio Alger National Award
- 1999 – Armenian Presidential Award
- 2000 – Named One of Ten Most Influential Utahns in the 20th Century
- 2003 – Humanitarian of the Year
- 2004 – Othmer Award for Outstanding Inventions in Plastics
- 2008 – Medal of Honor, American Cancer Society
- 2010 – Inducted into Idaho's Hall of Fame
- 2014 – William E. Simon Award for Philanthropy
- 2015 – Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy Award
- 2016 – Listed as second largest contributor to charities in America by Insider Magazine and Fortune Magazine.
