Samuel Truett Cathy (March 14, 1921 - September 8, 2014) was an American businessman, investor, author, and philanthropist based in Georgia. He founded the national fast food restaurant chain Chick-fil-A, which became so successful that he became a billionaire.
Cathy was a generous philanthropist, establishing scholarship programs for employees, and establishing a foundation to make grants to organizations he favored. He was active in numerous civic and volunteer organizations, receiving awards in recognition of his service.
Video S. Truett Cathy
Early life and influences
Cathy was born on March 14, 1921 in Eatonton, Georgia, the son of Lilla James (née Kimball) and Joseph Benjamin Cathy. He attended segregated schools, including Boys High School (now Henry W. Grady High School) in Atlanta. For a time his mother operated a boarding house to earn money for the family.
Cathy served in the United States Army during World War II.
He married Jeannette McNeil, and they had three children together: Trudy, Dan, and Don "Bubba" Cathy]]. All three children grew up with their parents in the restaurant business and seeing them with their customers. In addition, the family fostered numerous children.
Cathy and his family were members of the First Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Georgia. He taught Sunday School there for more than 50 years. He said that the Bible is his guide-book for life. Due to his strong religious beliefs, he made it a policy to close all of his company's locations on Sundays, whether the facility was company-owned or franchised, in order to allow employees time to observe the Sabbath and attend church, and/or be with their families. This policy began when Cathy was working six days a week, with multiple shifts. He decided to close on Sundays.
He has also said he was influenced while growing up by the motivational book Think and Grow Rich (1937) by Napoleon Hill, first published during the Great Depression. It was still a bestseller in 2015.
Maps S. Truett Cathy
Career
After the war in 1946, Cathy founded a small restaurant called the Dwarf Grill in the Atlanta suburb of Hapeville. Many of his early customers came from the Ford Atlanta automobile plant established nearby in 1947. Cathy and his employees kept the Dwarf Grill open to serve all three shifts at the plant. His original restaurant (since renamed Dwarf House) is still in operation, but the Ford plant closed in 2006.
Together with his brother and business partner Ben, Cathy created the skinless chicken breast sandwich that later became the signature menu item for his national chain known as Chick-fil-A. He established the first Chick-fil-A store in 1967, after decades of business with his wife at their first, single restaurant. His company now operates other Dwarf House locations in the metro Atlanta area. Gradually Cathy established other new restaurants in Georgia, setting up franchise operations there and across the country under the Chick-fil-A name. Until his retirement, Cathy served as chairman and CEO of his company.
In April 2008, Cathy opened a new style restaurant for him, Upscale Pizza, in Fayetteville, Georgia. In November 2013, he retired as chairman and CEO of Chick-fil-A, and his second son, Dan Cathy, took over these positions after working in the business for years.
In 2012, Cathy generated controversy by his comments related to the debate about same-sex marriage. His WinShape foundation made grants worth millions of dollars in recent years to such groups as Focus on the Family and the National Organization for Marriage, which oppose gay unions. As a result of boycotts of some Chick-fil-A stores and the resulting negative national publicity, company executives decided to stop funding the above two organizations and others that oppose gay unions. His son Dan T. Cathy has worked with representatives of gay groups since then.
Death
S. Truett Cathy died at his home on September 8, 2014 of natural causes at the age of 93. The family held a public funeral service on September 10, at First Baptist Church, Jonesboro, Georgia.
His interment was at Greenwood Cemetery.
His widow, Jeannette Cathy, died in 2015 at age 92.
Philanthropy
Cathy was closely involved with the sponsorship of the college football bowl game now known as the Chick-fil-A Bowl. From 1997-2005 it was known as the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and prior to that simply as the Peach Bowl.
Cathy established a Leadership Scholarship program for Chick-fil-A restaurant employees, which has awarded more than $23 million in $1,000 scholarships in the past 35 years.
In 1984, Cathy established the WinShape Foundation, named for its mission to shape winners. It supported organizations that aided children and families.
Legacy and honors
- In 1997, Cathy received an honorary degree in Doctor of Humane Letters from Oglethorpe University.
- A portion of Jonesboro and McDonough roads in Henry and Clayton counties in Georgia, respectively, are named in his honor.
- Cathy was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2003.
- On October 28, 2006, Cathy received the last vehicle off the assembly line of Ford's Atlanta plant, in recognition of a 60-year relationship between him and the plant. The plant, located near Cathy's original Dwarf Grill (now Dwarf House), opened one year after the restaurant opened. Cathy regularly served food during all three shifts at the plant.
- He received the Norman Vincent and Ruth Stafford Peale Humanitarian Award.
- In 2006 he received the Horatio Alger Award
- In 2007 he received the Boy Scouts of America Silver Buffalo Award.
- In 2008 he received the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership.
- That year he also received the President's Call to Service Award from President George W. Bush.
- Cathy received numerous honors, including membership in Omicron Delta Kappa (???), the National Leadership Honor Society. He received ???'s highest award, the Laurel Crowned Circle Award in 2009.
- In 2011, Cathy was inducted into the Indiana Wesleyan University Society of World Changers. In addition, the university awarded Cathy an honorary doctorate of business.
- In May 2012, Cathy received an honorary doctorate along with presidential candidate Mitt Romney at the Liberty University's spring commencement ceremony.
- In 2013, he was inducted as a Georgia Trustee. The honor is given by the Georgia Historical Society, in conjunction with the Governor of Georgia, to individuals whose accomplishments and community service reflect the ideals of the founding body of Trustees, which governed the Georgia colony from 1732 to 1752.
Civic activities
He was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Pi Fraternities.
Books
Later in life Cathy wrote five books: a motivational book entitled It's Easier to Succeed Than to Fail (1989), the autobiography Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People (2002), the parenting book It's Better to Build Boys Than Mend Men (2004), an explanation of his business success in How Did You Do It, Truett? (2007), and a final book on the significance of money in today's society titled Wealth, Is It Worth It? (2011).
He also contributed to the anthologies What My Parents Did Right and Conversations on Success. With Ken Blanchard he co-wrote Generosity Factor: Discover the Joy of Giving Your Time, Talent, and Treasure.
References
External links
- Chick-fil-A website; accessed September 8, 2014.
Source of article : Wikipedia
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