Donald John Tyson (April 21, 1930 – January 6, 2011) was an American businessman who was the president and CEO of

Tyson Foods Tyson Foods, Inc. is an American multinational corporation based in Springdale, Arkansas that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second-largest processor and marketer of broiler industry, chicken, beef, and pork after JBS ...

from 1967-1991.

Early life

Tyson was born in

Olathe, Kansas Olathe ( ) is the county seat of Johnson County, Kansas, United States. It is the List of cities in Kansas#Highest population listing, fourth-most populous city in both the Kansas City metropolitan area and the state of Kansas, with a 2020 Uni ...

. He attended the public schools in

Springdale, Arkansas Springdale is a city in Washington County, Arkansas, Washington and Benton County, Arkansas, Benton counties in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The city had a population of 84,161 at the 2020 census, making it the List of cities and towns in Arkan ...

, and completed his education at

Kemper Military School Kemper Military School & College was a private military school located in Boonville, Missouri. Founded in 1844, Kemper filed for bankruptcy and closed in 2002. The school's motto was "Nunquam Non Paratus" (Never Not Prepared). The 46-acre camp ...

Boonville, Missouri Boonville is a city and the county seat of Cooper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 7,964 at the 2020 census. The city was the site of a skirmish early in the American Civil War, Civil War, on July 17, 1861. Union forces defeat ...

, and at the

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is the Flagship campus, flagship campus of the University of Arkan ...

Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville ( ) is the List of cities and towns in Arkansas, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Washington County, Arkansas, Washington County, and the most populous city in Northwest Arkansas. The city ...

, where he became a member of

Sigma Nu Sigma Nu () is an undergraduate Fraternities and sororities in North America, college fraternity founded at the Virginia Military Institute in 1869. Since its founding, Sigma Nu has chartered more than 279 chapters across the United States and Ca ...

fraternity. He left the University of Arkansas before earning his degree. In 1944, at age 14, Tyson was first introduced into the poultry industry as a chicken catcher and truck driver at Tyson's Feed and Hatchery, the family's poultry feed and live production business started by his father,

John W. Tyson John W. Tyson (July 26, 1905 – January 15, 1967) was an American businessman, the founder of American multinational corporation Tyson Foods and, from 1935 until his death in 1967, its chief executive officer. Biography Tyson was born in Moun ...

. In 1952, he left the University of Arkansas to join his father in expanding the business. The company opened its first poultry processing plant in 1958 on Randall Road in Springdale, with Donald Tyson as the first plant manager.

President and CEO

Tyson was named president of Tyson Foods, Inc. in 1966. He was the company's CEO and chairman from 1967 to 1991, its chairman from 1991 to 1995, and its senior chairman from 1995 until his retirement in 2001. During his tenure, the company's revenue increased from $51 million to more than $10 billion, and Tyson Foods grew to become one of the largest manufacturing companies in the world. According to associates, Tyson enjoyed his job. In his retirement, Tyson continued as a consultant to the company and as a member of its board of directors. His son, John H. Tyson was the CEO of Tyson Foods from 1999 to 2006 and is currently chairman.

Wealth

According to ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

'' magazine, Tyson was one of the world's 1,000 richest people with a net worth over a billion dollars in March 2007. An avid fisherman, Tyson was on the board of directors of the International Game Fish Association. He founded the Billfish Foundation in 1985 and was a member of its board of directors.

Death

Tyson died on January 6, 2011, from cancer. He was 80 years old.

References

1930 births 2011 deaths People from Olathe, Kansas People from Springdale, Arkansas Arkansas Democrats Deaths from cancer in Arkansas 20th-century American businesspeople Tyson Foods people Kemper Military School alumni University of Arkansas alumni Tyson family {{US-business-bio-1930s-stub