William Scandling
Encyclopedia
William F. "Bill" Scandling (June 17, 1922 – August 22, 2005) was an American
businessman
and philanthropist
who was one of the founders of Saga Corporation, a multi-billion dollar food service and restaurant
company. Scandling donated money to his alma mater Hobart and William Smith Colleges
. He also funded the redevelopment of the Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development
at the University of Rochester
which was renamed to honor his wife in 1993.
and attended several Rochester area
high schools, graduating from Brighton High School
in 1940.
He started work as a salesman for a Men's Clothier spending some time travelling
through the midwest. He was called to military service in July 1942 and served in the Pacific theater
for the Army Air Forces
during World War II
.
In his military service he eventually rose to the rank of
Technical Sergeant
working for the Army Airways Communication System
.
At the close of the war Scandling enrolled at Hobart College
with financial support from the G.I. Bill and became a member of The Kappa Alpha Society.
In 1948 Scandling, along with fellow veteran-classmates Harry W. Anderson and W. P. Laughlin, took over
operation of the Hobart dining hall which had been nearing bankruptcy. The following year
they started providing dining services for William Smith College
.
Scandling graduated from Hobart in 1949 with a degree on Economics. He and his partners
continued to operate their cafeteria business and incorporated it in the lates 1940s.
After learning that Geneva
was built on an old Native American village called
Kanadasaga, it was decided that Saga Corporation would be a fitting name for the new
company.
In the summer of 1952 Saga opened operations at their third account at Kalamazoo College
.
In 1962 Saga's national headquarters opened in Menlo Park, California
.
In 1968 Saga went public, offering 321,000 shares of common stock. By 1970 Saga was
serving meals to hospitals and retirement communities in addition to college cafeterias and was also
operating its first two restaurant
chains
Black Angus and the Velvet Turtle'. By 1973 Saga was serving more than 400,000,000 meals a year. Other restaurant chains operated by Saga included Straw Hat Pizza
and MacArthur Park. At its height Saga ran food service contracts for more than
400 universities, colleges, hospitals, and retirement homes.
Scandling served as Saga Corporation's president from 1968 to 1978. He said that one of his proudest achievements was in 1984 when Saga was named one of the 100 best companies in America to work for, according to his family.
In 1986, Scandling and his partners sold Saga to Marriott Corporation
in a hostile takeover valued at more than $400 million. Despite the sale Scandling had opposed the takeover and wrote
about it in a 1994 book The Saga of Saga: the Life and Death of an American Dream . Writing in the Winter 1997 issue of the Pultney Street Survey alumni and alumnae magazine for Hobart and William Smith Colleges Dana Cooke wrote about Saga corporation that "In the 39 years it existed, the company changed the face of college food service nationwide, introducing contracting and service concepts to the industry. It pioneered a staff-empowerment management style decades before such philosophies came into vogue."
Scandling was awarded an honorary degree from Hobart and William Smith Colleges
in
1967. In 1998 Saga Corporation founders Scandling, Anderson, and Laughlin were awarded
the Medal of Excellence from the Hobart Alumni Association. At that time the Colleges
and Marriott had a ceremony to note the legacy of Saga Corporation and the main dining hall
in the Scandling Center was formally be renamed Saga.
Scandling's first wife Margaret Warner Scandling died in 1990. In 1995 Scandling married Yvette Farquharson-Oliver. The Scandling's had a son named Michael and resided in Atherton, California
.
William Scandling died August 22, 2005 in Montreal at the age of 83.
Scandling was a member of many professional societies. He was a member of the Menlo Country Club in Woodside, California
, and the Seneca Yacht Club in Geneva, New York
.
Scandling established the Scandling Family Foundation in 2000.
for 20 years
and was the chairman for 11 from 1972-1983. In 1984, the Scandling Student Center at
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
was named to honor Scandling's generous philanthropic commitment to the Colleges.
The Colleges' 65 foot research vessel was renamed from HWS Explorer to William F. Scandling in his honor
.
In 2003, Scandling made the largest gift in the history of Hobart and William Smith Colleges
($15 million)
.
Scandling's gifts to Hobart and William Smith Colleges totaled more than
$30 million.
In 1997 then President of Hobart and William Smith Colleges Richard H. Hersh was reported by Dana Cooke to have
said: "Most colleges like ours have patron saints and guardian angels, who are key to their
surviving and thriving. Bishop Hobart, William Smith, a few presidents,
and Bill Scandling are in that category for us." in the Winter 1997 issue of the Pultney Street Survey alumni and
alumnae magazine.
The Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development
at the
University of Rochester
(established 1958) was renamed in 1993 to honor the memory and legacy of his
late wife, Margaret Warner Scandling, who had graduated from the University of Rochester in
1944.
Mr. Scandling made gifts over the years totaling more than $14 million to the Warner School.
.
In addition to Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and the University of Rochester,
Scandling was a major contributor to
Johns Hopkins University
where he established The Paul R. McHugh Endowed Chair in Motivated Behaviors in 1998,
,
Deep Springs College
where he served on the Board of Trustees for
8 years,
the Salk Institute where a $1 million gift funded the William Scandling Developmental Chair for an
Assistant Professor
,
and Northern Arizona University
.
The Scandlings created the Scandling Family Foundation in 2000.
Scandling and the foundation also contributed to many community-based organizations and causes
such as the Peninsula Habitat for Humanity,
the Marine Science Institute in
Redwood City, California
,
the Equestrian Therapy Program at the Stein Education Center main campus of Vista Hill Foundation
center in San Diego, California
,
as well as the John Hart Hunter Educational Foundation of The Kappa Alpha Society
.
Scandling also contributed to political fundraising drives such as the Campbell (R) for Senate campaign
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
who was one of the founders of Saga Corporation, a multi-billion dollar food service and restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
company. Scandling donated money to his alma mater Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
. He also funded the redevelopment of the Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development
Warner School
The Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development is part of the University of Rochester, located in Rochester, New York....
at the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
which was renamed to honor his wife in 1993.
Biography
Scandling grew up in Rochester, New YorkRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
and attended several Rochester area
high schools, graduating from Brighton High School
in 1940.
He started work as a salesman for a Men's Clothier spending some time travelling
through the midwest. He was called to military service in July 1942 and served in the Pacific theater
for the Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In his military service he eventually rose to the rank of
Technical Sergeant
Technical Sergeant
Technical Sergeant is the name of one current and two former enlisted ranks in the United States military.-United States Air Force:Technical Sergeant, or Tech Sergeant, is the sixth enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force, just above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant. A technical sergeant is...
working for the Army Airways Communication System
.
At the close of the war Scandling enrolled at Hobart College
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
with financial support from the G.I. Bill and became a member of The Kappa Alpha Society.
In 1948 Scandling, along with fellow veteran-classmates Harry W. Anderson and W. P. Laughlin, took over
operation of the Hobart dining hall which had been nearing bankruptcy. The following year
they started providing dining services for William Smith College
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
.
Scandling graduated from Hobart in 1949 with a degree on Economics. He and his partners
continued to operate their cafeteria business and incorporated it in the lates 1940s.
After learning that Geneva
Geneva, New York
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...
was built on an old Native American village called
Kanadasaga, it was decided that Saga Corporation would be a fitting name for the new
company.
In the summer of 1952 Saga opened operations at their third account at Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College, also known as K College or simply K, is a private liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1833, the college is among the 100 oldest in the country. Today, it produces more Peace Corps volunteers per capita than any other U.S...
.
In 1962 Saga's national headquarters opened in Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, in the United States. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay on the north and east; East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Stanford to the south; Atherton, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City...
.
In 1968 Saga went public, offering 321,000 shares of common stock. By 1970 Saga was
serving meals to hospitals and retirement communities in addition to college cafeterias and was also
operating its first two restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
chains
Black Angus and the Velvet Turtle'. By 1973 Saga was serving more than 400,000,000 meals a year. Other restaurant chains operated by Saga included Straw Hat Pizza
and MacArthur Park. At its height Saga ran food service contracts for more than
400 universities, colleges, hospitals, and retirement homes.
Scandling served as Saga Corporation's president from 1968 to 1978. He said that one of his proudest achievements was in 1984 when Saga was named one of the 100 best companies in America to work for, according to his family.
In 1986, Scandling and his partners sold Saga to Marriott Corporation
Marriott Corp.
Marriott Corporation was a hospitality company that operated from 1927–1993, founded originally by J. Willard Marriott and Frank Kimball as Hot Shoppes, Inc. In 1957, Marriott Corporation opened its first hotel in Arlington County, Virginia, United States as the Twin Bridges Motor Hotel...
in a hostile takeover valued at more than $400 million. Despite the sale Scandling had opposed the takeover and wrote
about it in a 1994 book The Saga of Saga: the Life and Death of an American Dream . Writing in the Winter 1997 issue of the Pultney Street Survey alumni and alumnae magazine for Hobart and William Smith Colleges Dana Cooke wrote about Saga corporation that "In the 39 years it existed, the company changed the face of college food service nationwide, introducing contracting and service concepts to the industry. It pioneered a staff-empowerment management style decades before such philosophies came into vogue."
Scandling was awarded an honorary degree from Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
in
1967. In 1998 Saga Corporation founders Scandling, Anderson, and Laughlin were awarded
the Medal of Excellence from the Hobart Alumni Association. At that time the Colleges
and Marriott had a ceremony to note the legacy of Saga Corporation and the main dining hall
in the Scandling Center was formally be renamed Saga.
Scandling's first wife Margaret Warner Scandling died in 1990. In 1995 Scandling married Yvette Farquharson-Oliver. The Scandling's had a son named Michael and resided in Atherton, California
Atherton, California
Atherton is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. Its population was 6,914 at the 2010 census. In September 2010, Forbes magazine placed Atherton's zip code of 94027 at #2 on its annual list of America's most expensive zip codes, with a median home price of $4,010,200...
.
William Scandling died August 22, 2005 in Montreal at the age of 83.
Scandling was a member of many professional societies. He was a member of the Menlo Country Club in Woodside, California
Woodside, California
Woodside is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States, on the San Francisco Peninsula. It uses a council-manager system of government. The U.S. Census estimated the population of the town to be 5,287 in 2010....
, and the Seneca Yacht Club in Geneva, New York
Geneva, New York
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...
.
Scandling established the Scandling Family Foundation in 2000.
Philanthropy
Scandling served on the Board of Trustees for Hobart and William Smith CollegesHobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
for 20 years
and was the chairman for 11 from 1972-1983. In 1984, the Scandling Student Center at
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
was named to honor Scandling's generous philanthropic commitment to the Colleges.
The Colleges' 65 foot research vessel was renamed from HWS Explorer to William F. Scandling in his honor
.
In 2003, Scandling made the largest gift in the history of Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
($15 million)
.
Scandling's gifts to Hobart and William Smith Colleges totaled more than
$30 million.
In 1997 then President of Hobart and William Smith Colleges Richard H. Hersh was reported by Dana Cooke to have
said: "Most colleges like ours have patron saints and guardian angels, who are key to their
surviving and thriving. Bishop Hobart, William Smith, a few presidents,
and Bill Scandling are in that category for us." in the Winter 1997 issue of the Pultney Street Survey alumni and
alumnae magazine.
The Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development
Warner School
The Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development is part of the University of Rochester, located in Rochester, New York....
at the
University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
(established 1958) was renamed in 1993 to honor the memory and legacy of his
late wife, Margaret Warner Scandling, who had graduated from the University of Rochester in
1944.
Mr. Scandling made gifts over the years totaling more than $14 million to the Warner School.
.
In addition to Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and the University of Rochester,
Scandling was a major contributor to
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
where he established The Paul R. McHugh Endowed Chair in Motivated Behaviors in 1998,
,
Deep Springs College
Deep Springs College
Deep Springs is a private, all-male , alternative college in Deep Springs, California, in the United States. A two-year college, the institution currently aims for a student body size of 26, though the number is occasionally lower...
where he served on the Board of Trustees for
8 years,
the Salk Institute where a $1 million gift funded the William Scandling Developmental Chair for an
Assistant Professor
,
and Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
.
The Scandlings created the Scandling Family Foundation in 2000.
Scandling and the foundation also contributed to many community-based organizations and causes
such as the Peninsula Habitat for Humanity,
the Marine Science Institute in
Redwood City, California
Redwood City, California
Redwood City is a California charter city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California, approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco, and 24 miles north of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans from its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people, to its tradition as a port for...
,
the Equestrian Therapy Program at the Stein Education Center main campus of Vista Hill Foundation
Vista Hill Foundation
Vista Hill is an organization which was formed in 1957 as a non-profit agency in San Diego, California. It provides many services to families and children such as: special education and training, outpatient care, learning assistance center, and community programs for early intervention and youth...
center in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
,
as well as the John Hart Hunter Educational Foundation of The Kappa Alpha Society
Kappa Alpha Society
The Kappa Alpha Society , founded in 1825, was the progenitor of the modern fraternity system in North America. It was the first of the fraternities which would eventually become known as the Union Triad...
.
Scandling also contributed to political fundraising drives such as the Campbell (R) for Senate campaign
.
External links
- The Saga Foundation founded by William P. Laughlin, co-founder of the Saga Corporation is dedicated to raising awareness and creating models for action to increase nuclear safety and security.