In May of 2008 we lost a great pioneer in our industry. The passing of J.R. Simplot was given a feature story in the July 2008 issue of Potato Country. And Senator Mike Crapo read a eulogy for him on the floor of the US senate.
Elsewhere in the world, Venus Williams beats her sister Serena Williams at the 115th Wimbledon. and the film “The Dark Knight” premieres in New York.
July_Aug08_PotatoCountry Simplot Story
Congressional Record – Senate June, 2nd 2008
REMEMBERING J.R. SIMPLOT
Read by Idaho Senator Crapo on the floor of the US Senate.) Mr. President, Idaho lost one of her native sons on May 25, a man who put Idaho on the map and made ‘‘Famous Potatoes’’ synonymous with Idaho across the world. John Richard ‘‘J.R.’’ Simplot passed away at the age of 99, leaving a legendary legacy of hard work and shrewd business dealing—a pioneer in every respect. Who would have thought that a young man, with no more than an eighth grade education who used to hunt wild horses to feed hogs—his first business venture as a teenager—would put Micron on the global map some 50 years later? Among other things, J.R. can be credited with catapulting the ubiquitous McDonald’s French fry to worldwide fame. By the reckoning of some, J.R. Simplot is responsible for the employment of 14,000 Idahoans today, as well as the establishment of many Boise retail and hospitality centers such as the Boise Centre on the Grove, the Boise Factory Outlet and the Qwest Arena.
Those of us who knew him knew a man with a colorful personality and a resolute sense of self and what he believed in. He was a dogged businessman, as comfortable in his role in convincing President Reagan to support U.S. business interests as he was wandering into a campground near his cabin to visit with folks around the fire. His personality was as multifaceted as the organizations and institutions to which he gave millions of dollars. J.R. donated to multiple causes including millions of dollars to Boise State University and other Idaho institutions of higher learning, the Ronald McDonald House, the Boys and Girls Clubs, the arts, Idaho Public Television, the Boise Zoological Society, Boise area medical centers, the YMCA and public libraries. Being rated by Forbes as one of the top 100 wealthiest Americans, and the oldest living billionaire in the United States, didn’t change J.R.’s outlook on life, nor his habit of driving to McDonald’s to eat a few times a week. In his trademark pragmatic way, he outlined for Esquire Magazine, at age 92, what it takes to be successful in business. He compared business to playing a game of marbles: ‘‘Each man has his own taw, and if he gets good with that taw, he can knock the hell out of some marbles. And he can win, but he has to have strong fingers and the right aim. It’s like anything else: You got to work at it.’’ J.R. was a no-nonsense, down-to earth, highly perceptive businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Idaho can be proud of his incredible legacy.
