John Duncan Sr.
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| John Duncan Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | John House Duncan Sr. January 22, 1928 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| 💀Died | January 10, 2020 (aged 91)[1] Houston, Texas, U.S.January 10, 2020 (aged 91)[1] |
| 🏳️ Nationality | American |
| 🏫 Education | University of Texas at Austin |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Jeaneane Booth (1951-1981) Brenda Pritchard (1982) | |
| 👶 Children | 4 |
| 👪 Relatives | Charles Duncan Jr. (brother) |
John House Duncan Sr. was an American entrepreneur and philanthropist best known for serving as Chairman on Enron's Board of Directors Executive Committee from 1985-2002.[2][3]
Early Life[edit]
John Duncan was born in Houston, Texas as the younger brother to Charles Duncan Jr., former U.S. Secretary of Energy under Jimmy Carter and former President of Coca-Cola.[4] He attended the University of Texas at Austin, earning a Bachelor in Business Administration, and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Following his graduation in 1949, he joined the family company, Duncan Coffee, which had been founded by his father, Charles Duncan Sr., and uncle, Herschel Duncan, in 1918. Some of the company's brands, such as Admiration and Bright & Early, had become household staples around Texas.[5] Duncan left the company less than a year later, in 1950, to join the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.[6]
Career[edit]
Gulf+Western
Alongside Charles Bluhdorn, Duncan was a co-founder of the Houston-based conglomerate, Gulf+Western Industries. He was the company's first president and later served as Chairman of the Executive Committee.[7] Having left his family company permanently, he joined Bluhdorn in pursuing his G+W ambitions by beginning with the Michigan Stamping and Plating as vice-president. Over the years, the company grew into what would become one of the most diverse conglomerates in the U.S.[8] When Bluhdorn suddenly passed in February 1983, new leadership arose in the company and Duncan felt he could not remain there with it. He resigned from his position as Chairman that same year.[9] A partial list of the holdings acquired during Duncan's time at Gulf+Western with years in parentheses:
- South Puerto Rico Sugar Company (1967)
- Paramount Pictures (1968)
- Stax Records (1968)
- Sega (1969)
- Kayser-Roth Corporation (1975)
- Madison Square Garden (1977)
Enron
From 1985 to March 2002, Duncan served on the Board of Directors for Enron and was a director of one of its predecessor companies, Houston Natural Gas, from 1967 to 1985. Starting in 1986, he served as the Chairman of the Board's Executive Committee, making him the longest-serving member on the Enron board. According to the testimony given by Duncan before the United States Senate, the Board of Directors had been told up to August 14, 2001, that earnings were increasing and that they were kept unaware of the financial turmoil the company was in. The statement further claimed that the board members worked hard and asked questions but were met with lies by those reporting the information. He maintained his defense of the board as intelligent and successful businessmen and women throughout the Enron trial.[10]
Other Ventures
He was the founder and Chairman of Gulf Consolidated Services. Duncan was the chairman of Title Houston Holdings.[11]
Philanthropy[edit]
In 1995, Duncan's 9th grandchild was born with down syndrome. This life event led him to the Rise School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and a program founded by Gene Stallings, where traditional students learned alongside special needs children. In April of 1998, Duncan and his wife, Brenda, opened their own Rise School in Dallas, Texas with their grandchild amongst the first group to attend. With the goal of opening another location in mind, 100 of Duncan's friends and family gifted him with a $1,000,000 check for his 71st birthday. Soon, Houston, Texas found itself home to this new school. He served on the boards of both the Houston and Dallas locations. Currently, there are two more locations in Austin, Texas and Corpus Christi, Texas.[12][13][14]
Duncan worked with the YMCA for over 50 years, serving on multiple boards. In 2012, the Clay Road YMCA in Houston was dedicated to Duncan and his wife and was renamed the Brenda and John Duncan YMCA.
Personal Life[edit]
Duncan married Jeaneane Booth in 1951.[15] Sometime before 1982 they divorced and Duncan married Brenda Pritchard. He had 4 children.
Other Achievements and Awards[edit]
Duncan was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Southwestern University in 1987, where he served on the Board of Trustees.[16] In 2001, he was inducted into the McCombs School of Business Hall of Fame after having been named a Distinguished Alumnus in 1988.[17][18][19]
He was a co-founder of the Stallings Award Foundation and served on its board since its creation. He was awarded the first inaugural Johnny Stallings Award in 2012 for his work with those who have special needs.[20] The Stallings Award Foundation created The John H. Duncan Award in 2019 to honor those who make incredible contributions to adults with special needs.[21]
References[edit]
- ↑ "John House Duncan Sr. Obituary (1928 - 2020) Austin American-Statesman".
- ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/2006/06/02/former-enron-directors-then-and-now/d1311a0f-aae4-45d9-b62d-81e022fad1f6/
- ↑ https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/duncan.pdf
- ↑ https://www.houston.org/people/charles-w-duncan
- ↑ Texas Gulf Coast: Its History and Development, Vol. IV, 1929
- ↑ https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/1997/11/17/story3.html
- ↑ "Corporations: Living on Breakdowns". Time. 8 October 1965.
- ↑ Sobel, Robert (1999). The Rise and Fall of the Conglomerate Kings. ISBN 9781893122475. Search this book on
- ↑ “Goodbye, Charlie.” Engulfed: The Death of Paramount Pictures and the Birth of Corporate Hollywood, by Bernard F. Dick, University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 2001, pp. 189–205. JSTOR j.ctt130j97j.11. Accessed 30 Apr. 2021.
- ↑ "The Role of the Board of Directors in Enron's Collapse".
- ↑ "About Us".
- ↑ "Loving a grandson gave rise to a special school". 10 November 2013.
- ↑ "Rise History".
- ↑ "History".
- ↑ "Jeaneane Booth marries Lt John H. Duncan". Abilene Reporter-News. 9 September 1951. p. 33.
- ↑ "Honorary Degree Recipients".
- ↑ https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/alumni/advisory-council/hall%20of%20fame
- ↑ "The Alcalde". January 2002.
- ↑ "John H. Duncan, Sr. - Philosophical Society of Texas".
- ↑ https://www.stallingsaward.org/the-johnny-stallings-award
- ↑ "The John H. Duncan Award".
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