Jon Meade Huntsman Sr. (June 21, 1937 – February 2, 2018) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder and executive chairman of Huntsman Corporation, a global manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemicals. Huntsman plastics are used in a wide variety of familiar objects, including (formerly) clamshell containers for McDonald's hamburgers. Huntsman Corporation also manufactures a wide variety of organic and inorganic chemicals that include polyurethanes, textiles, and pigments. Huntsman's philanthropic giving exceeded $1.5 billion, focusing on areas of cancer research, programs at various universities, and aid to Armenia.
Early life and education Jon Meade Huntsman was born in Blackfoot, Idaho. His mother Sarah was a homemaker, and his father Alonzo was a teacher. In 1950, the family moved to Palo Alto, California, where Alonzo pursued graduate studies at Stanford University, earning an M.A. and Ed.D. He then became a superintendent of schools in the Los Altos district.
Jon Huntsman attended Palo Alto High School, where he became student body president. He was recruited by Harold Zellerbach, chairman of Crown-Zellerbach Paper Company, to attend the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania on a Zellerbach scholarship. He graduated from Wharton in the spring of 1959, a brother of the Sigma Chi fraternity.
Huntsman married Karen Haight, daughter of David B. Haight, in June 1959, just weeks after he graduated. Both were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). In July 1959, Huntsman left to serve for two years in the U.S. Navy as an officer aboard the USS Calvert. He subsequently earned an MBA from the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business in 1966.
Business career
Dolco Packaging Corporation In 1961, Huntsman was employed by Olson Brothers, Inc., an egg-producing company in Los Angeles. There, he advanced through the ranks to assume the role of vice president of operations. Recognizing that the company sustained substantial losses due to poor packaging, Huntsman became interested in developing a better alternative. His leadership was key in developing the first plastic egg carton. In 1965, he established contact with the polystyrene operations of the Dow Chemical Company. In 1967, he became president of a joint venture between Olson Brothers, Inc., and Dow Chemical, the Dolco Packaging Corporation.
Huntsman Container Corporation Seeing an opportunity to create packaging for the emerging fast-food industry, Huntsman left Dolco in 1970 to form the Huntsman Container Corporation with his brother and others in Fullerton, California. Plants were constructed in Fullerton, California, in 1971 and in Troy, Ohio, in 1972. Since cash flow was an issue for the new company, Huntsman mortgaged his house and borrowed heavily from banks. In 1973 the company nearly collapsed when an Arab oil embargo cut off supplies of polystyrene, used to make expandable/expanded polystyrene (or EPS).
In 1974, Huntsman Container Corporation created the "clamshell" container for McDonald's Big Mac. The company also developed other popular products, including the first plastic plates, bowls, and fast-food containers. In 1976, after completion of its first international plant at Skelmersdale, England, a stock deal was arranged to sell Huntsman Container Corporation to Keyes Fiber Company. Huntsman continued to serve as CEO of the container business for four more years and held a directorship of Keyes Fiber Company.
Huntsman Chemical Company – Huntsman Corporation In 1982, after serving as a mission president for the LDS Church in Washington, DC, for three years, Huntsman continued his plastics and petrochemical pursuits with the formation of a new company, Huntsman Chemical Company, in Salt Lake City, Utah. In his capacity as CEO and Chairman, he grew the business into a multibillion-dollar company, in part by acquiring a number of businesses in the polystyrene, styrene, and polypropylene industry when they were not seen as profitable. Between 1986 and 2000 Huntsman acquired 36 companies, 35 of which turned out to be hugely profitable.
In 1994, the Huntsman Chemical Company was renamed the Huntsman Corporation. In 1996, Peter R. Huntsman became President and COO of Huntsman Corporation. In 2000 he replaced his father as the company's CEO. Jon M. Huntsman continued to be involved in the company as Chairman.
During the 2000s, Huntsman continued its pattern of expansion, both in America and around the world, and reorganization. Huntsman Corporation became publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange in 2005. As of 2014, Huntsman reported that it operated 80 manufacturing and R&D facilities in 30 countries and employed approximately 12,000 associates.
Huntsman Gay Global Capital In 2007 Huntsman co-founded an additional new private equity firm, Huntsman Gay Global Capital (now known as HGGC), with two former Bain Capital executives, Robert C. Gay (1989–2004, managing director) and Greg Benson (executive vice president in London), former Sorenson Capital co-founder and managing director Rich Lawson, and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young to focus on investments in middle market companies.
Scientific awards and honors Huntsman has been awarded thirteen honorary doctorate degrees at various universities. In 2004 he received the Othmer Gold Medal, awarded by the Chemical Heritage Foundation in recognition of contributions in research, innovation, legislation or philanthropy. In 2013 he received the Leadership Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Chemical Marketing and Economics (CM&E) group. In 2015, he received the Bower Award from the Franklin Institute.
Personal life and death Huntsman and his wife, Karen, were married for over 58 years and had nine children: Jon Jr., Peter, Christena, Kathleen ( 2010), David, Paul, James, Jennifer, and Mark. At the time of Huntsman's death, they had 56 grandchildren, two of whom were adopted from China and India, and 19 great-grandchildren.
Huntsman's eldest son, Jon Jr., also served as a Huntsman Corporation executive. He was elected Governor of Utah in 2004 and was a candidate in the Republican Party presidential primaries in 2012. He has also served in other governmental positions, including as Ambassador of the United States to Singapore, China, and Russia.
Huntsman's second eldest son, Peter, took over as CEO of the Huntsman Corporation in July 2000 and as chairman in January 2018.
On December 8, 1987, Huntsman's son, James, then age 16, was kidnapped and held for $1 million ransom by Nicholas Hans Byrd, a former classmate. FBI agents traced the kidnapper and rescued James unharmed, but agent Al Jacobsen was stabbed in the chest during the arrest.
Huntsman has published a book about his life experience, communicating moral lessons. Titled Winners Never Cheat: Everyday Values We Learned as Children (But May Have Forgotten), it was published by Wharton School Publishing in 2005. A second edition, titled Winners Never Cheat: Even in Difficult Times, made the Wall Street Journals best-sellers list.
Huntsman was a four-time cancer survivor. He died on February 2, 2018, at his home in Salt Lake City.
Religion As a member of the Latter Day Saints (LDS) Church, Huntsman served as an area seventy from 1996 to 2011. He also served as a regional representative, stake president, and as president of the church's Washington, D.C. Mission from 1980 to 1983.
Politics In 1977 he was chairman of the Western States Republican Leaders. He was also the Republican Party of Utah national committeeman from 1976 to 1980. He was a friend of conservative radio talk show host Glenn Beck and has been interviewed on his show. He was more socially conservative than his son, Jon Huntsman Jr. He was close friends with both Glenn Beck on the right and Harry Reid on the left, who both helped further the mission of Huntsman Cancer Institute.
Nixon administration While the Huntsman Container Corporation's first packaging plant was being built in 1970, Huntsman joined the Nixon Administration as Associate Administrator of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare and later served as Special Assistant and Staff Secretary to President Nixon. Upon completion of the second Huntsman Container site in Troy, Ohio, in 1972, Huntsman left the White House staff to become President and CEO of Huntsman Container, while still serving – in a non-paid position – as a consultant to the Office of the President.
Presidential elections He served as chairman for Utah in Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign in 1984 and George H. W. Bush's campaigns in 1988 and 1992.
1988 Utah gubernatorial election In March 1988, Huntsman announced he would run against incumbent Utah Governor Norm Bangerter in the Republican primary. Huntsman was leading in public opinion polls, sometimes by a double-digit margin. He reportedly raised almost $300,000 in campaign advertising, returning all funds raised back to the donors. A few weeks later, Huntsman went on a 10-day business trip to Asia with his friend, U.S. Senator Jake Garn, who was chairman of Governor Bangerter's campaign. In mid-April Huntsman dropped out of the gubernatorial race and endorsed the governor, saying that party unity and his business responsibilities were more important than his political career, and asking political independents to support Bangerter. Later that year, Governor Bangerter appointed Huntsman to be the first Ambassador for Economic Development for the State of Utah.
Son's 2012 Republican presidential campaign Huntsman's son, Jon Huntsman Jr., served in the administrations of five U.S. Presidents, including Barack Obama (as U.S. Ambassador to China) and most recently Donald Trump (as Ambassador to Russia), and was a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.
There was considerable speculation that the viability of Jon Huntsman Jr.'s campaign might depend on Jon Huntsman Sr.'s willingness to fund advertising for it, via the Superpac "Our Destiny PAC". Jon Huntsman Jr. reportedly downplayed the possibility of receiving campaign funding from his family before the New Hampshire primary election, telling NPR that "the Huntsman family gives to humanitarian causes and doesn't consider a political campaign to be a humanitarian cause". However, reports filed with the Federal Election Commission later showed that Our Destiny PAC received $2.7 million in contributions, $1.9 million of it from Huntsman Sr. Much of that money was spent on campaign ads, including $914,000 on campaign ads in New Hampshire in the two months before the January primary.
Huntsman Sr. appeared on stage with Jon Huntsman Jr. and his wife and daughters at the third-place finish celebration in Manchester, New Hampshire. Huntsman Jr. announced his intention in Manchester to continue the campaign in South Carolina but dropped out on January 16, in advance of the vote there, throwing his support to Mitt Romney.
Philanthropy