Robert Addison Day is an American business executive and philanthropist. He was the founder and former chairman and
chief executive officer
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especial ...
Superior Oil Company
Superior Oil Company was an American Petroleum, oil company founded in 1921 in Coalinga, California, by William Myron Keck,
Superior Oil began as a drilling contracting firm and grew into the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. In 1 ...
founder
William Myron Keck
William Myron Keck (April 27, 1880 – August 20, 1964) was an American oil entrepreneur and philanthropist. Founder of Superior Oil Company, author Kevin Krajick has described Keck as "the world's greatest oil prospector, a man whose insti ...
.Haute Living profile /ref>NNDB profile /ref> He was born in 1943 in Los Angeles, California. He received a Bachelor of Science in economics from
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College (CMC) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It has a curricular emphasis on government, economics, public affairs, finance, and international relations. CMC is a member of the Claremont Colleges c ...
in 1965.'Robert Addison Day Elected to Board of Trustees', on Brookings Institution website, July 06, 1998 Claremont McKenna College document /ref> He was enrolled in ROTC while at Claremont McKenna College.
Career
Day started his career at the financial firm White, Weld and Company in New York City. In 1971, he founded the Trust Company of the West. /ref> In 2001, he sold 70% of it to the
Société Générale
Société Générale S.A. (), colloquially known in English as SocGen (), is a French-based multinational financial services company founded in 1864, registered in downtown Paris and headquartered nearby in La Défense.
Société Générale ...
for $2.5 billion.
Day serves on the board of directors of
Freeport-McMoRan
Freeport-McMoRan Inc., often called Freeport, is an American mining company based in the Freeport-McMoRan Center, in Phoenix, Arizona. The company is the world's largest producer of molybdenum, is a major copper producer and operates the world's ...
,
Fisher Scientific
Fisher Scientific International, Inc. (NYSE: FSH) was a laboratory supply and biotechnology company that provided products and services to the global scientific research and clinical laboratory markets until its merger with Thermo Electron in 20 ...
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution, often stylized as simply Brookings, is an American research group founded in 1916. Located on Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C., the organization conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in e ...
, where he was chairman from 1990 to 1998. He is a member of the
Business Council
The Business Council is an organization of business leaders headquartered in Washington, D.C. From 2001 to 2003, he sat on the
President's Intelligence Advisory Board
The President's Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB) is an advisory body to the Executive Office of the President of the United States. According to its self-description, it "provides advice to the President concerning the quality and adequacy of ...
. He is also a member of the
Alfalfa Club
The Alfalfa Club is a social club that exists only to hold an annual black tie banquet on the last Saturday of January at the Capital Hilton in Washington D.C., with an after-party at a local restaurant. The banquet, which lasts 4 hours, featur ...
, the
California Club
Based in Los Angeles, California, the California Club is an by-invitation-only private club established in 1888.
According to Los Angeles Times, "The people who ''run'' Los Angeles belong to the Jonathan Club; the people who ''own'' Los Angel ...
, the
Center for Strategic and International Studies
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is an American think tank based in Washington, D.C. CSIS was founded as the Center for Strategic and International Studies of Georgetown University in 1962. The center conducts poli ...
, and the
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is a nonprofit organization that is independent and nonpartisan. CFR is based in New York Ci ...
.
As of September 2011, he is worth US$1.2. billion, and he is the 283rd richest person in the United States. He owns 600,000 acres of timberland in Florida.
Political activities and donations to alma mater
In October 2006, Day hosted a fundraiser with then-President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', October 04, 2006 In 2015, Day donated $1.1 million to Super PACs supporting Republican presidential candidates
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 43rd governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. Bush, who grew up in Houston, was the second son of former President George H. W. Bush ...
and
Carly Fiorina
Cara Carleton "Carly" Fiorina ('' née'' Sneed; born September 6, 1954) is an American businesswoman and politician, known primarily for her tenure as CEO of Hewlett-Packard (HP). As chief executive officer of HP from 1999 to 2005, Fiorina wa ...
.
In 2007, Day made a gift of $200 million to his alma mater
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College (CMC) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It has a curricular emphasis on government, economics, public affairs, finance, and international relations. CMC is a member of the Claremont Colleges c ...
.Larry Gordon, 'Claremont McKenna gets huge donation', in ''
The Los Angeles Times
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...
'', September 27, 200 /ref>
He is the chairman and president of the W. M. Keck Foundation.
Personal life
Day is married to Marlyn Gates. He has 3 children and lives in Los Angeles, California.