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Jon Huntsman Sr.

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Jon Huntsman Sr.
Born (1937-06-21) 21 June 1937 (age 89)
Blackfoot, Idaho, U.S.
Died2 February 2018(2018-02-02) (aged 80)
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, philanthropist
Known forFounder and executive chairman of Huntsman Corporation

Jon Meade Huntsman Sr. (June 21, 1937 – February 2, 2018) was a prominent American entrepreneur and philanthropist, best known as the founder and executive chairman of Huntsman Corporation, a worldwide producer and distributor of specialty chemicals. The company manufactures a variety of organic and inorganic chemical products, including polyurethanes, textiles, and pigments. Among its plastic products were (formerly) clamshell containers used by McDonald's for their hamburgers. Huntsman’s charitable donations surpassed $1.5 billion, primarily supporting cancer research initiatives, academic institutions, and humanitarian efforts in Armenia.

Early life and education

Huntsman was born in Blackfoot, Idaho into a humble household; his father worked as a teacher before advancing to a school superintendent role after completing graduate studies at Stanford University. Jon attended Palo Alto High School, where he held the position of student body president. He earned a scholarship to attend the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1959. During his time there, he was affiliated with the Sigma Chi fraternity.

In June 1959, Huntsman wed Karen Haight, daughter of David B. Haight, with both belonging to the LDS Church. Shortly thereafter, he served two years as an officer in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Calvert. He later obtained an MBA from the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California in 1966.

Dolco Packaging Corporation

Huntsman began his career in 1961 at Olson Brothers, Inc., a Los Angeles-based egg producer, where he advanced to vice president of operations. Noticing inefficiencies caused by inadequate packaging, he spearheaded the creation of the first plastic egg carton. By 1965, he had established connections with Dow Chemical’s polystyrene division and was appointed president of Dolco Packaging Corporation in 1967—a joint venture between Olson Brothers and Dow Chemical.

Huntsman Container Corporation

In 1970, Huntsman departed Dolco to co-establish Huntsman Container Corporation alongside his brother Alonzo Blaine Jr. and other partners in Fullerton, California. Manufacturing facilities were launched in Fullerton (1971) and Troy, Ohio (1972). To finance this venture, Huntsman mortgaged his home and obtained bank loans. The 1973 Arab oil embargo posed challenges by restricting polystyrene supplies essential for expandable/expanded polystyrene (EPS) production.

The company innovated in 1974 by designing the "clamshell" container for McDonald's Big Mac and introduced the first plastic plates, bowls, and containers tailored for fast-food service. After inaugurating its initial overseas plant in Skelmersdale, England (1976), Huntsman Container was acquired by Keyes Fiber Company through a stock transaction. Huntsman continued as CEO of the container division for four years and held a position on Keyes Fiber’s board.

Huntsman Chemical Company – Huntsman Corporation

Following a mission for the LDS Church in Washington, DC in 1982, Jon Huntsman founded Huntsman Chemical Company located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Serving as CEO and Chairman, he transformed the firm into a multibillion-dollar corporation by strategically acquiring undervalued companies within the polystyrene, styrene, and polypropylene sectors. Between 1986 and 2000, Huntsman completed 36 acquisitions, with all but one achieving significant profitability.

The enterprise was rebranded as Huntsman Corporation in 1994. Peter R. Huntsman assumed roles as President and COO in 1996 and succeeded his father as CEO in 2000; Jon Huntsman retained his position as Chairman.

Throughout the early 21st century, Huntsman focused on international growth and organizational restructuring. The corporation went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2005. By 2014, it operated approximately 80 manufacturing plants and research centers across 30 nations with a workforce nearing 12,000 employees.

Huntsman Gay Global Capital

In 2007, Huntsman partnered with former Bain Capital leaders Robert C. Gay and Greg Benson, Sorenson Capital co-founder Rich Lawson, and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young to establish the private equity firm Huntsman Gay Global Capital, now known as HGGC. The company specializes in investing in middle-market enterprises.

Scientific awards and honors

Throughout his career, Huntsman was honored with thirteen honorary doctorates from multiple academic institutions. The Chemical Heritage Foundation recognized him in 2004 with the Othmer Gold Medal for his achievements in research, innovation, legislative efforts, and philanthropy. In 2013, he was presented with the Leadership Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Chemical Marketing and Economics (CM&E) organization. Additionally, in 2015, the Franklin Institute bestowed upon him the prestigious Bower Award.

Personal life and death

Huntsman shared over 58 years of marriage with his wife Karen and together they raised nine children: Jon Jr., Peter, Christena, Kathleen (who passed away in 2010), David, Paul, James, Jennifer, and Mark. At the time of his passing, their family included 56 grandchildren—two of whom were adopted from China and India—and 19 great-grandchildren.

His eldest son Jon Jr. held executive roles within Huntsman Corporation before pursuing a political career that included serving as Utah’s governor beginning in 2004 and competing in the 2012 Republican presidential primaries. He also represented the United States diplomatically as Ambassador to Singapore, China, and starting in 2017, Russia.

Peter Huntsman took over as CEO of Huntsman Corporation in July 2000 and advanced to chairman in January 2018.

In a notable family incident from 1987, Huntsman's son James was abducted with a ransom demand of $1 million but was safely recovered by FBI agents during an operation that resulted in one agent being wounded.

Huntsman authored Winners Never Cheat: Everyday Values We Learned as Children (But May Have Forgotten) in 2005; its follow-up edition titled Winners Never Cheat: Even in Difficult Times achieved placement on the Wall Street Journal best-sellers list.

Having survived cancer four times, Huntsman passed away on February 2, 2018, at his residence in Salt Lake City.

Religion

As a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), Huntsman served as an area seventy from 1996 until 2011. His church leadership roles also included positions such as regional representative, stake president, and president of the Washington, D.C. Mission between 1980 and 1983.

Politics

In 1977, Huntsman led as chairman of the Western States Republican Leaders and acted as Utah’s national committeeman for the Republican Party from 1976 through 1980. He maintained bipartisan relationships—counting among his friends conservative commentator Glenn Beck and Democratic leader Harry Reid—both supporters of the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Compared to his son Jon Jr., Huntsman held more traditionally conservative social views.

Nixon administration

While overseeing construction of the initial Huntsman Container Corporation facility in 1970, Huntsman joined President Nixon’s administration as Associate Administrator at the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Subsequently, he served as Special Assistant and Staff Secretary to President Nixon. After completing a second manufacturing plant in Troy, Ohio in 1972, he assumed the role of President and CEO of Huntsman Container while continuing to advise the White House without compensation.

Presidential elections

Huntsman led Utah's campaign efforts for Ronald Reagan in 1984 and subsequently for George H. W. Bush during the 1988 and 1992 presidential races.

1988 Utah gubernatorial election

In March 1988, Huntsman declared his intention to run for governor of Utah, challenging the sitting governor Norm Bangerter. Early polls showed him ahead by a substantial margin, and he amassed close to $300,000 in campaign contributions, which he eventually refunded to donors. Following a business trip to Asia alongside Senator Jake Garn—who chaired Bangerter’s campaign—Huntsman withdrew from the race in April, endorsing Bangerter to preserve party cohesion and concentrate on business ventures. Later that year, Bangerter appointed Huntsman as Utah’s inaugural Ambassador for Economic Development.

Son's 2012 Republican presidential campaign

Jon Huntsman Jr., son of Jon Huntsman Sr., served diplomatically under five U.S. Presidents, including appointments as U.S. Ambassador to China under Barack Obama and Ambassador to Russia under Donald Trump. He sought the Republican nomination for president in 2012.

There was speculation regarding Huntsman Sr.'s financial backing of his son's campaign through the Super PAC "Our Destiny PAC." While Jon Huntsman Jr. initially minimized family involvement in funding, Federal Election Commission records showed Our Destiny PAC raised $2.7 million, with $1.9 million donated by Huntsman Sr. Nearly $914,000 of these funds were allocated to advertising in New Hampshire during the two months prior to the primary.

Huntsman Sr. publicly supported his son, appearing with him and family at the celebration following a third-place finish in Manchester, New Hampshire. Although Jon Huntsman Jr. intended to continue his campaign in South Carolina, he withdrew on January 16 and endorsed Mitt Romney before the primary vote.

Philanthropy

Jon Huntsman is noted for philanthropic contributions exceeding $1.5 billion, aiding homeless populations, the sick, and disadvantaged groups both within the United States and globally. The Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked Jon and Karen Huntsman second among America's largest donors in 2007. On January 1, 2000, The Salt Lake Tribune included him among "The 10 Utahns Who Most Influenced Our State in the 20th Century" due to his impact on education and medical research initiatives. In 2001, Jon and Karen received the Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognizing Principle-Centered Leadership. In 2003, CNN's Larry King honored him as Humanitarian of the Year. The American Cancer Society presented him with its Medal of Honor for Cancer Philanthropy in 2008. He was awarded the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership in 2014 and subsequently received the Philanthropy Roundtable's Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy Award in 2015.

Cancer research

Among Huntsman's most significant philanthropic endeavors is founding and primarily funding the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah. Alongside his wife Karen, he launched HCI in 1993 with an initial family donation of $10 million, followed by another $100 million gift in 1995—an amount comparable to one year's total funding distributed by the American Cancer Society. Their goal was to expedite cancer cures through advances in human genetics research. Presently, HCI stands as a premier cancer research center in the United States featuring a cutting-edge specialty hospital.

The Huntsman family has maintained ongoing substantial support; as a cancer survivor himself, Huntsman has expressed a profound personal dedication to eradicating this disease. To date, their contributions exceed $656 million toward HCI’s mission. In November 2013, Huntsman either donated or helped raise $120 million for a new pediatric cancer research facility, which was dedicated on his 80th birthday in 2017 as the Primary Children's and Families' Cancer Research Center.

Additionally, Huntsman involved the Sigma Chi fraternity in backing HCI efforts. Sigma Chi designated the Huntsman Cancer Foundation as its preferred philanthropic partner in 2012 and raised its initial $1 million for cancer research by 2013. By 2017, Sigma Chi's donations had grown beyond $5 million supporting cancer research at HCI.

Education

The University of Utah benefited from Huntsman's support through the Jon M. Huntsman Center, a 15,000-seat arena inaugurated in 1969 to host gymnastics, basketball, and volleyball competitions. This venue has been the site of national gymnastics championships and NCAA men's basketball tournaments. By 2013, the Huntsman family had also financed an additional facility dedicated to basketball practice, known as the Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Basketball Center.

Huntsman extended his generosity to several other academic institutions as well. Serving as Chairman of the Board of Overseers at his alma mater, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, he contributed an unrestricted donation exceeding $50 million toward the $140 million Jon Huntsman Hall project. The Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business, established in 1994 through their endowment, offers a comprehensive four-year undergraduate curriculum that integrates business education with liberal arts.

In 1989, Huntsman gave $1 million to Utah State University for the establishment of the Huntsman Environmental Research Center and an additional $500,000 for reconstructing the Alumni Center, which was subsequently renamed in honor of Mrs. Huntsman's father. A substantial $26 million gift from the Huntsmans in 2007 resulted in renaming USU's College of Business as the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business and financed a new $40 million building called Huntsman Hall—the largest facility on campus at that time. Later, in 2017, Huntsman partnered with Charles Koch to donate $50 million aimed at scholarships and creating a new Center for Growth and Opportunity at USU.

At Brigham Young University, financial contributions from the Huntsmans facilitated the expansion and renaming of the Howard W. Hunter Law Library. Southern Utah University's new library includes the Jon and Karen Huntsman Reading Room and honors retiring President Gerald R. Sherratt. The Karen H. Huntsman Library at Snow College, completed in 2010 with their backing, is recognized as a "green" building anticipated to be Utah's first academic library to earn gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

Aid to Armenia

Huntsman played a pivotal role in aiding Armenia's recovery after the 1988 earthquake, undertaking 46 visits over a span of 25 years and contributing at least $50 million toward relief initiatives such as schools and hospitals. Early efforts included founding a pre-stressed concrete manufacturing plant designed both to supply essential construction materials and generate employment opportunities. The Huntsman family also established a tile roofing factory in Yerevan, built apartment complexes, and constructed a K-12 school in Gyumri. Additionally, they offer scholarships enabling Armenian students to pursue studies at Utah State University. Holding Armenian citizenship himself, Huntsman has been honored with two national awards, including the St. Mesrop Mashtots Order.

Having donated more than $1.2 billion over time, Huntsman exited the "Forbes 400" list by 2010 but was still ranked 937th on that year's "Forbes World's Richest Persons." He is among a select group of only 19 billionaires globally who have given away upwards of $1 billion, driven by his ambition to "die broke" through philanthropy.

Former Salt Lake City mayor Rocky Anderson emphasized Huntsman's dedication to philanthropy, noting his sincere commitment to leveraging wealth for enhancing people's lives.

Awards

  • 1954 – Elected President of the Student Body at Palo Alto High School
  • 1955 – Awarded the Crown Zellerbach Scholarship to attend The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
  • 1959 – Recipient of the University of Pennsylvania Student Alumni Award of Merit (undergraduate)
  • 1959 – Honored with the Spoon Award as the most distinguished graduating student at the University of Pennsylvania
  • 1959 – Earned the International Balfour Award, recognizing the top Sigma Chi member across the US and Canada
  • 1971 – Received the José Marti Brotherhood Award from Cuban American communities as a Most Respected U.S. Citizen
  • 1991 – Bestowed with the Armenian Medal of Honor
  • 1994 – Presented with the Golden Plate Award by the American Academy of Achievement
  • 1994 – Kaveler Award for being the Most Outstanding CEO in the Chemical Industry
  • 1994 – Inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame
  • 1996 – Awarded the Great Humanitarian Award by the Freedom Foundation
  • 1996 – Honored with the National Caring Award from the Caring Institute
  • 1997 – Recipient of the Horatio Alger National Award
  • 1999 – Granted the Armenian Presidential Award
  • 1999 – Received another University of Pennsylvania Alumni Award of Merit
  • 2000 – Recognized as one of the Ten Most Influential Utahns of the 20th Century
  • 2001 – Named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young
  • 2003 – Designated Humanitarian of the Year
  • 2004 – Othmer Award for Outstanding Inventions in Plastics, awarded by the Chemical Heritage Foundation
  • 2005 – Honored with the Giant in our City Award from the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce
  • 2006 – Received Excellence in Governance Award from the American Red Cross
  • 2008 – Bestowed with the Medal of Honor by the American Cancer Society
  • 2008 – Conferred Trustee Emeritus status at University of Pennsylvania
  • 2009 – Named Chairman Emeritus of The Wharton School Board of Overseers, University of Pennsylvania
  • 2010 – Earned Distinguished Public Service Award from American Association for Cancer Research
  • 2010 – Inducted into Idaho's Hall of Fame
  • 2010 – Presented with National Award for Charity during Restoring Honor Day in Washington, D.C.
  • 2011 – Received Service Above Self Award
  • 2011 – Honored as Innovator of the Year by The Wall Street Journal
  • 2013 – Awarded Leadership for Lifetime Achievement by American Chemical Society
  • 2014 – William E. Simon Award for Philanthropy recipient
  • 2015 – Received The Franklin Institute's Business Leadership (Bower) Award
  • 2015 – Honored with Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy from Philanthropy Roundtable
  • 2016 – Ranked second largest charitable donor in America by Insider Magazine; also named second most generous individual by Fortune Magazine

Controversy

Jon Huntsman was instrumental in prompting Vivian Lee’s resignation as CEO of University of Utah Healthcare (HCI). He threatened to withdraw $250 million in funding for the Huntsman Cancer Institute and openly criticized Lee’s management approach. Following considerable public pressure, including critical editorials from the Salt Lake Tribune—owned by Huntsman’s family—Lee stepped down.

Huntsman accused Lee of attempting a "power grab" during her efforts to detach HCI from its affiliation with the University of Utah. This episode ignited discussions about how much influence private donors should exert over institutions funded by public resources.

External links

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