Richard J. Corman facts for kids

Richard Jay Corman (July 22, 1955 – August 23, 2013) was a very successful businessman. He founded and owned the R.J. Corman Railroad Group. This company, based in Nicholasville, Kentucky, provides many services for railroads. It also operates several smaller train lines.

Richard Corman's Early Life

Richard Corman was born and passed away in Nicholasville, Kentucky. His father worked for the state highway department. Richard grew up near where his company's main office would later be. He started his first business at just 11 years old. His grandfather made him a partner in a business that moved cattle, goods, and old items. School was not very exciting for him. He missed many days in his last year of high school. Still, he graduated in 1973.

Richard Corman's Business Journey

Right after high school in 1973, Richard began working for L&N Railroad. He started with just one backhoe and a dump truck. He quickly became known for working fast and doing a great job. Soon, he found another chance to grow his business. Friends in the rail industry asked his company to help with train derailments. This was after another company left Columbus, Ohio.

Building the Railroad Business

Over the next few years, Rick created a railroad construction company. Then he started a derailment company. Both were under the name R. J. Corman. Larger railroad companies began hiring outside help for their derailment and building work. They wanted to save money. Rick was able to give them the excellent service they needed. The first years were tough financially. But Corman worked very hard to get support for his companies.

Expanding Train Operations

After a new law called the Staggers Rail Act passed in 1980, Rick started a railroad company. He bought the Bardstown Line. A year later, he began running the My Old Kentucky Dinner Train on that line. He used a special train car for this. This car had been part of the funeral procession for Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1969. Rick went on to create six more companies. He also bought eight more short train lines. These lines covered over 600 miles of track. He continued to grow his business until he passed away in 2013.

Corman's Dedication to His Company

Even though Corman officially retired in 1997, he stayed very involved. He managed his company's daily activities for the rest of his life. In his final years, he planned for the company's future after he was gone. Many people wanted to buy his company. But he said no to all offers. He was very loyal to his employees. His company still offers many important services for railroads today.

In 2011, Matt Rose, the CEO of BNSF Railway, praised Corman. He said, "He's kind of like an oilfield firefighter. He's the Red Adair of the railroad industry." This meant Corman was the best at handling tough railroad emergencies.

Richard Corman's Personal Life

Richard Corman was married three times and had five children. His two oldest children, a daughter and a son, share his last name. His three youngest children, a son and two daughters, were from his third marriage. For the last 11 years of his life, he was in a relationship with Tammie Taylor. She was an executive at his company.

Supporting University of Kentucky Sports

Richard was a big supporter of University of Kentucky sports. In his later years, Corman became a close friend of UK men's basketball head coach John Calipari. Calipari even called him "a brother." Corman first met Calipari in 2009. He sent one of his private jets to fly Calipari and his wife from Memphis to Lexington. This was for Calipari's first press conference as coach.

After Corman's death, Calipari remembered their first flight. He said they talked about almost everything except basketball. Corman made it clear he knew very little about the sport. Corman sometimes watched UK practices. Calipari noted that Corman was the only person he ever let into a UK practice wearing a red shirt. Red is the color of UK's main rival, the University of Louisville. Corman's support was not just for the men's basketball team. He also used a private jet to bring Mark Stoops to Lexington. This was for Stoops' introduction as UK's new football head coach in 2012.

As a way to honor Corman, Calipari announced something special. He said he would wear red for at least one home game in the 2013–14 season.

Richard Corman's Illness and Passing

Richard Corman was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2001. This happened after he felt terrible back pain while running in Amsterdam. He trusted much of his medical care to Kathleen Martin. She was a doctor from Lexington whom he had dated before. They went on a journey that led them to the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Fighting Cancer and Giving Back

When they arrived at Dana–Farber, a top cancer researcher told him something hopeful. "If you come here, we will do everything possible to see that you grow old gracefully and die of something other than multiple myeloma." For the rest of his life, Corman gave a lot of money to Dana–Farber. He also set up a special fund to run his company after his death. This fund reportedly named the institute as a beneficiary.

He had two bone marrow transplants as part of his treatment. The first was in 2001, and the second in 2008. The cancer returned again in 2011. After his health got much worse in 2013, Corman passed away on August 23. He died at his home in Nicholasville.