Donald J. Hall Sr.
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Donald J. Hall Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 9, 1928 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | October 13, 2024 (aged 96) |
| Alma mater | Dartmouth College (AB) |
| Occupation(s) | Chairman and majority owner, Hallmark Cards |
| Spouse |
Adele Coryell
(m. 1953; died 2013) |
| Children | 3, including Donald J. Hall Jr. |
| Father | Joyce Hall |
Donald Joyce Hall (July 9, 1928 – October 13, 2024) was an American billionaire businessman, and the chairman and majority shareholder of Hallmark Cards, the world's largest greeting card manufacturer and one of the world's largest privately held companies. Hallmark's headquarters is in Kansas City, Missouri.
Early life
[edit]Donald Joyce Hall was born on July 9, 1928, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Elizabeth Ann (née Dilday) and Joyce Hall. His father was the founder and president of Hallmark Cards.[1][2][3] At the age of 17, he worked as an assistant salesman for Hallmark.[3] Hall graduated from Dartmouth College in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts in economics.[1][3] He served in the United States Army and spent time in Gifu, Japan.[3][4]
Career
[edit]Hall returned to Hallmark in 1953 and became assistant to the president in 1954. In 1958, Hall became the administrative vice president. In 1966, after Hall served as administrative vice president and member of the board of directors of the company, Hall's father, Joyce Hall, retired as chairman, president, and CEO of Hallmark, handing full control of the company to Hall. In 1983, he stepped down as president and became chairman of the board. Irvine O. Hockaday Jr. succeeded him as president.[1][3][5] He served as chairman emeritus of Hallmark from 2016 to his death.[4]
Philanthropy
[edit]Hall was chair of the Hall Family Foundation. He was a founding member of the Kansas City Community Foundation. He helped start the Kansas City Area Economic Development Council. He was credited with locating the 1976 Republican National Convention to Kansas City.[3][4] He served on the board of trustees of Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art for 31 years and in the 1960s helped establish the Hallmark Photographic Collection. In 2005, the collection was donated to the Nelson-Atkins museum.[3] He was chairman of the board of MRIGlobal.[3]
George H. W. Bush appointed Hall as chairman of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.[3] In 2005, he served on the boards of the Kansas City Symphony, the Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Lyric Opera of Kansas City and the Full Employment Council.[3]
Personal life and death
[edit]Hall married Adele Coryell on November 28, 1953. They had three children, including Donald J. Hall Jr. His wife died in 2013. Hall lived in Mission Hills, Kansas.[1][5][6] He was a member of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church.[3]
Hall died on October 13, 2024, at the age of 96.[4]
Awards and honors
[edit]- 1972 – Kansas Citizen of the Year[7]
- 1982 – Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences[3]
- 1985 – Awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Ronald Reagan[3]
- 1985 – Philanthropist of the Year Award from the Greater Kansas City Council on Philanthropy[3]
- 1985 – Award of excellence from the Kansas City Architectural Foundation and honorary membership in the American Institute of Architects[3]
- 1992 – Kansas Business Hall of Fame in 1992[8]
- 1995 – Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement[9]
- 2000 – Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Dartmouth College[3]
Legacy
[edit]In 2013, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art established the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park in his honor.[3]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Donald J. Hall". NNDB. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
- ^ Ingham, John N. (1983). Biographical Dictionary of American Business Leaders, Volume 2. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 529. ISBN 0313239088.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Remembering the Life of Donald J. Hall". Hallmark. October 15, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Hartle, Sam (October 15, 2024). "Donald J. Hall, longtime Hallmark leader and civic champion, dies at 96". KSHB. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
- ^ a b "Forbes profile: Donald Hall". Forbes. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
- ^ "Adele Coryell Hall". The Kansas City Star. February 1, 2013. p. A10. Retrieved October 10, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hallmark CEO is named Kansas Citian of the Year". Kansas City Business Journal.
- ^ "Contemporary Honorees". Kansas Business Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
| Key personnel |
|  |
|---|---|---|
| Units | ||
| Hallmark Media | ||
| Franchises | ||
| Related topics | ||
- 1928 births
- 2024 deaths
- American chief executives of manufacturing companies
- Businesspeople from Kansas
- Businesspeople from Kansas City, Missouri
- Dartmouth College alumni
- People from Mission Hills, Kansas
- Hallmark Cards people
- American billionaires
- Pembroke Hill School alumni
- Kansas Business Hall of Fame inductees
- American art patrons
- 20th-century American businesspeople
- 20th-century United States Army personnel
- 21st-century American businesspeople