Rollin King facts for kids

Rollin W. King (born April 10, 1931 – died June 26, 2014) was an American businessman. He was an expert in giving advice about investments. Rollin King is best known because he helped start Southwest Airlines. He was also a director for the company for many years.

Early Life and Business Ideas

Rollin King came from a well-known family in Cleveland, Ohio. He went to Case Western Reserve University and finished in 1955. Later, he earned a special business degree (an M.B.A.) from Harvard University. In 1962, King moved to Texas. He worked there as an investment consultant, helping people with their money.

In 1964, he took his first step into the airplane business. He bought a small local company that offered private plane trips. During this time, he noticed how well Pacific Southwest Airlines was doing. This airline was one of the oldest low-cost airlines in the country. King decided he wanted to create a similar airline in Texas.

Starting Southwest Airlines

Rollin King's journey with Southwest Airlines began on March 15, 1967. He and his lawyer, Herb Kelleher, created a company called Air Southwest Company in Texas. Their goal was to make an airline that would only fly within Texas. They were inspired by Pacific Southwest Airlines, which flew only within California. Airlines that stayed within one state had more freedom. This was because the US airline business had many strict rules back then.

However, three other airlines in Texas did not want this new company to start. They took legal action to stop Air Southwest Company. Because of this, the new airline could not begin flying until June 18, 1971. King had hired Kelleher to help with the legal fight for their new company. From 1968 to 1970, King worked hard. He found people to be on the company's main team (the board of directors). He also wrote the business plan. Plus, he raised the money needed to get permission from the State of Texas to offer flights. These flights would be between Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.

Lamar Muse joined the company on January 1, 1971. He became the President, while King stayed on the company's main team as a director. On March 28 of that year, the company changed its name to Southwest Airlines. Muse then started hiring pilots and arranging to buy airplanes.

Later Years and Legacy

Rollin King continued to be part of Southwest Airlines' leadership. He was a member of the board of directors until 2006. During that time, he also served on important groups within the company. These included the executive committee and the audit committee.

In 1991, King was asked to help an airline from Panama. This airline, Air Panamá Internacional, needed to be fixed up. He became a top leader of the new version of the company, which was renamed Air Panama International. But by 1993, it was clear that the effort did not work out. The company never made any flights.

King left Southwest Airlines in 2006. Before that, from 1989 until he retired in 1995, he taught business leaders and gave advice. He did this through his own company, Rollin King Associates. In his later years, he mostly focused on investing his own money.

Rollin King passed away in Dallas, Texas, on June 26, 2014. The chief executive officer of Southwest Airlines, Gary C. Kelly, attended his funeral. Other company representatives were also there.