Donald Worthington Reynolds (September 23, 1906 – April 2, 1993) was an American

businessman A businessperson, businessman, or businesswoman is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial or industrial) for the ...

and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

. During his lifetime, he was known for his involvement in the Donrey Media Group.

Biography

Reynolds was the son of Gaines W. Reynolds, a wholesale grocery salesman, and his wife, Anna Louise. Born in Forth Worth, Texas, he grew up in

Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

and got his first job in the newspaper business selling papers at the local railroad station. In high school, Reynolds decided he wanted to attend the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. MU was founded in ...

Missouri School of Journalism The Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia is one of the oldest formal journalism schools in the world. The school provides academic education and practical training in all areas of journalism and strategic comm ...

, and he worked during high school and successive summers at a meat packing plant to pay for his studies. While at the University of Missouri, he was initiated into

Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Alpha (), commonly known as PIKE, is a college fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1868. The fraternity has over 225 chapters and colonies across the United States and abroad with over 15,500 undergraduate members over 3 ...

. He graduated in 1927. Reynolds' first business venture was a photo engraving plant. He then purchased and sold the ''Quincy Evening News'' in

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, using the proceeds from that sale to buy the ''Okmulgee Daily Times'' in

and the ''Southwest Times Record'' in

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

. Those two papers launched the Donrey Media Group. Operating mostly in small towns, the group grew to include more than 100 businesses, including newspapers, radio stations, television stations, cable television operations, and billboard companies. Perhaps his biggest success came with the ownership of the ''

Las Vegas Review-Journal The ''Las Vegas Review-Journal'' is a daily subscription newspaper published in Las Vegas, Nevada, since 1909. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada and one of two daily newspapers in the Las Vegas area. The ''Review-Journal'' ...

'', the largest newspaper in

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

. Reynolds interrupted his newspaper career to serve in the military during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, initially in military intelligence and, later, as the officer in charge of the Pacific and London editions of the "soldiers' newspaper, ''

Yank, the Army Weekly ''Yank, the Army Weekly'' was a weekly magazine published by the United States military during World War II. History The idea for the magazine came from Egbert White, who had worked on the newspaper Stars and Stripes during World War I. H ...

''. He attained the rank of

Major Major ( commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicato ...

, received the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight u ...

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

and

Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. W ...

during his military service, and returned to civilian status in 1945. He focused his business acumen on businesses located in small but growth-oriented communities, and these communities often were the recipients of the Foundation's earliest charitable grants. Reynolds died on April 2, 1993, on a cruise ship, on the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

, at the age of 86. A large sum of money from his business ventures went to the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. There are currently a number of buildings named for Reynolds, including:
The Donald W Reynolds Community Center
in Seminole, Oklahoma
The Donald W Reynolds Community Center & Water Park
in

Pauls Valley, Oklahoma Pauls Valley is a city in and the county seat of Garvin County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 5,992 at the 2020 census, a decline of 3.2 percent from the figure of 6,187 in 2010. It was settled by and named for Smith Paul, a North ...

Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center at Southern Arkansas University
* The Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium * The Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House in

Fort Smith, Arkansas Fort Smith is the third-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 89,142. It is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas–Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Are ...

* The Donald W. Reynolds Center for Life Sciences at

Hendrix College Hendrix College is a private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas. Approximately 1,000 students are enrolled, mostly undergraduates. While affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the college offers a secular curriculum and has a student ...

* The Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, AR * The Reynolds Center at

Harding University Harding University is a private university with its main campus in Searcy, Arkansas. It is the largest private university in Arkansas. Established in 1924, the institution offers undergraduate, graduate, and pre-professional programs. The uni ...

* The Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center at the

University of Oklahoma , mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State" , type = Public research university , established = , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.7billion (2021) , pr ...

, * The Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall at the

University of Central Arkansas The University of Central Arkansas (Central Arkansas or UCA) is a public university in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1907 as the Arkansas State Normal School, the university is one of the oldest in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As the state's only ...

* The Donald W. Reynolds YMCA in Warren, Arkansas * The Donald W. Reynolds Alumni Center and the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the

* The

Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism The Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism (RSJ) is a professional school of the University of Nevada, Reno. Established on September 14, 1984, it counts six Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, ...

at the

University of Nevada, Reno The University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada, the University of Nevada, or UNR) is a public land-grant research university in Reno, Nevada. It is the state's flagship public university and primary land grant institution. It was founded on October 12 ...

* The Donald W. Reynolds Center at the

University of Tulsa The University of Tulsa (TU) is a private research university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has a historic affiliation with the Presbyterian Church and the campus architectural style is predominantly Collegiate Gothic. The school traces its origin to ...

* The Donald W. Reynolds Community Center in Poteau, Oklahoma * The Donald W. Reynolds Center for Business and Economic Development at the

University of Arkansas at Little Rock The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UA Little Rock) is a public research university in Little Rock, Arkansas. Established as Little Rock Junior College by the Little Rock School District in 1927, the institution became a private four-year ...

* The Donald W. Reynolds Science Center at Henderson State University * The Donald W. Reynolds School of Architecture at

Oklahoma State University Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

* The Donald W. Reynolds Technology Center at

Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT) is a public institute of technology in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. It is part of the Oklahoma State University System. OSUIT has thirty-seven programs of study which include thirty-one programs ...

in Okmulgee, OK * The Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture in Washington, DC. * The Donald W. Reynolds Emergency Shelter and Recreation building at the Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter, and * The Donald W. Reynolds Museum and Education Center at the

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

estate of George Washington in Virginia
The Donald W. Reynolds Library
in

Mountain Home, Arkansas Mountain Home is a city in, and the county seat of, Baxter County, Arkansas, United States, in the southern Ozark Mountains near the northern state border with Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 12,448. A total of 41 ...

* The Donald W. Reynolds Center at

Arkansas State University Mid-South Arkansas State University Mid-South, formerly Mid-South Community College (MSCC), is a public community college in West Memphis, Arkansas. ASU Mid-South offers degree programs, technical courses, community educational offerings, and intercollegia ...

in West Memphis, AR * The Donald W. Reynolds Center for Health Sciences on the

Arkansas State University Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osa ...

campus in Jonesboro, AR
The Donald W Reynolds Community Center and Library
in

Durant, Oklahoma Durant () is a city in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States that serves as the headquarters of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. The population was 18,589 in the 2020 census. Durant is the principal city of the Durant Micropolitan Statistical ...

*The Donald W. Reynolds Cultural Center at Nevada Ballet Theatre in Las Vegas, NV Reynolds left three children on his death: Nancy, Donald and Jonathan. ''

Forbes Magazine ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also rep ...

'' notes that Reynolds's three children will receive trust income of $50,000 a year for life, but will be left only $1 if they unsuccessfully contest his will. The bulk of the Estate was left to The Donald W Reynolds Foundation. The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation continued his lengthy legacy of charitable giving through 2015, funding programs for capital grants, aging and quality of life, cardiovascular clinical research, and journalism. In accordance with its articles of incorporation, the Foundation was designated to terminate rather than continue in perpetuity. Its board of trustees determined that the foundation would cease to make grants by the year 2022. In fact, the foundation liquidated its assets and closed its doors at the end of 2017.

Awards

*1978, The Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame *1985, Golden Plate Award of the

American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet ...

*2000, Arkansas Business Hall of Fame

References

* https://web.archive.org/web/20141022112518/http://www.dwreynolds.org/Reynolds.htm * http://www.onlinenevada.org/articles/donald-worthington-reynolds

External links

Donald W. Reynolds Foundation

Papers
1945–1994 at the State Historical Society of Missouri {{DEFAULTSORT:Reynolds, Donald W. 1906 births 1993 deaths American newspaper chain founders People from Fort Smith, Arkansas People from Fort Worth, Texas Recipients of the Legion of Merit Missouri School of Journalism alumni People who died at sea Businesspeople from Oklahoma City Businesspeople from Texas 20th-century American businesspeople Journalists from Texas 20th-century American philanthropists 20th-century American journalists American male journalists