Louis Larrick Ward (November 18, 1919 – February 10, 1996) was an American businessman who successfully turned the

Russell Stover Candies Russell Stover Chocolates, Inc. is an American manufacturer of candy, chocolate, and confections. Founded by Russell Stover, an American chemist and entrepreneur, and his wife Clara Stover in 1923, it is an independent subsidiary of Swiss ch ...

company into an international brand after purchasing the company in 1960.

Early life and education

Ward was born November 18, 1919, in

Lenora, Kansas Lenora is a city in Norton County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 207. History Lenora was founded in 1873. It was named for Mrs. Lenora Hauser, a pioneer settler. The first post office in Lenor ...

, to Carter William and Fern Alpha Ward (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Larrick). He initially attended the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...

from 1937 to 1938 before ultimately transferring and in 1941 earning a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

Career

Since 1946, Ward has been with multiple employers in the

chemical industry The chemical industry comprises the companies and other organizations that develop and produce industrial, specialty and other chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, the chemical industry converts raw materials ( oil, natural gas, air, ...

such as Drexel, Harriman & Company and Spencer Chemical Company. In 1960, he acquired

and built into an internationally known brand. He also served as a director to the First National Bank in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

Personal life

On December 15, 1955, Ward married Adelaide Selby Cobb (1933-2022), later chair of the Ward Family Foundation. They had three children: * Linda Larrick Ward * Scott Hardman Ward * Thomas Selby Ward Louis L. Ward died on February 10, 1996, aged 76, in

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Louis 1920 births 1996 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople Stanford University alumni