Allen E. Paulson
Encyclopedia
Allen Eugene Paulson was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 aviation entrepreneur, 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...

, thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...

 racehorse breeder
Horse breeding
Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in domesticated horses...

 and owner, and a self-made multi-millionaire.

Business career in aviation

Born in Clinton
Clinton, Iowa
Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 26231as of 2010. Clinton, along with DeWitt, Iowa , was named in honor of the seventh governor of New York, DeWitt Clinton. Clinton is the principal city of the Clinton Micropolitan Statistical...

, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

, Allen E. Paulson was on his own at age 13, supporting himself selling newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...

s and doing janitor
Janitor
A janitor or custodian is a professional who takes care of buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Janitors are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often some maintenance and security...

ial work at local hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...

 until he moved to California in 1937. There, he worked on a dairy farm to pay his way through school. After finishing high school in 1941, he took a 30-cent-per-hour job as an entry-level mechanic for TWA. In 1943-45 he served in the US Army Air Corps and spent a year studying engineering at the University of West Virginia
University of West Virginia
The University of West Virginia was an educational authority formed by the West Virginia Legislature on July 1, 1989, to oversee the operation of the state's graduate and doctoral degree-granting institutions. It was abolished on June 30, 2000...

. After the war, he went back to TWA, this time as a flight engineer, and used his GI Bill of Rights to get his pilot's license. He then began flying commercially for TWA. Using his TWA travel privileges, he began flying to Chicago to buy cars that he drove back to California to sell. Soon, he had a van and was transporting a number of vehicles on every trip.

He left TWA to form his own company in 1951, first buying surplus Wright R-3350
Wright R-3350
The Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone was one of the most powerful radial aircraft engines produced in the United States. It was a twin row, supercharged, air-cooled, radial engine with 18 cylinders. Power ranged from 2,200 to over 3,700 hp , depending on the model...

 engines from Boeing B-29s and selling the parts to airlines. In 1955 he purchased his first aircraft for resale, stripping the aircraft for parts and scrapping the rest and later rebuilding one aircraft for resale out of the parts of several. The first airplanes he bought were three Convair 240
Convair 240
The Convair CV-240 was an American airliner produced by Convair from 1947 to 1954, initially as a possible replacement of the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3. While featuring a more modern design, the 240 series was able to make some inroads as a commercial airliner and also had a long development cycle...

s; Western Airlines
Western Airlines
Western Airlines was a large airline based in California, with operations throughout the Western United States, and hubs at Los Angeles International Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport, and the former Stapleton International Airport in Denver...

 had turned to Lockheed Electra
Lockheed Electra
Lockheed Electra refers to two distinct aircraft designs:* Lockheed Model 10 Electra, a ten-passenger piston engine aircraft of the 1930s, which had two immediate variants:...

s. Later, he bought all of TWA's Martin 404s. We sold those, 240s and Convair 340s for corporate airplanes.

His company, the California Airmotive Corp., became one of the largest dealers in second-hand aircraft (particularly second-hand airliners) in the world. At one time he had 35 Lockheed Constellation
Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...

s of various models, 22 Douglas DC-6
Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...

s and DC-7s and 4 other airliners in storage at Fox Field in Lancaster, California in 1970/71, not to mention other aircraft at other airfields such as Burbank.
A subsidiary company during the early 1960s was West Coast Airmotive Corporation. Allen Paulson bought out the Pacific Airmotive Corp. at Burbank and started converting various types of passenger transport to freighters. Several Lockheed Constellations were rebuilt by Paulson's company and converted to freighter aircraft. California Airmotive was renamed American Jet Industries in 1973.

In November 1970 he and his friend Clay Lacy
Clay Lacy
Clay Lacy is the founder and chief executive officer of Clay Lacy Aviation, established in 1968 as the first executive jet charter company in the Western United States...

 entered an ex-American Airlines Douglas DC-7BF (N759Z msn 45233) in the California 1000 Mile Air Race at Mojave. Named "Super Snoopy", the airplane finished in a commendable sixth place in a field of twenty and still had 1,500 gallons of fuel remaining at the end. One writer observed during the race that the DC-7 flew lower than some of the single-engined aircraft and that it flew faster and made better pylon turns than a competing Douglas A-26 Invader. The race was won by a Hawker Sea Fury
Hawker Sea Fury
The Hawker Sea Fury was a British fighter aircraft developed for the Royal Navy by Hawker during the Second World War. The last propeller-driven fighter to serve with the Royal Navy, it was also one of the fastest production single piston-engined aircraft ever built.-Origins:The Hawker Fury was an...

 in 2 hours 52 minutes and 38 seconds at an average speed of 344.08 mph. When a second 1000 mile race was scheduled for Brown Field near San Diego, California in July 1971, the Paulson teamed with Lockheed test pilot Herman "Fish" Salmon and entered Lockheed L-1049G Super Constellation N9723C the "Red Baron", which once served Qantas as VH-EAP "Southern Zephyr", while Clay Lacy entered "Super Snoopy". The "Red Baron" qualified for the race, rounding the pylons at 200 feet. The other pilots entered in the race held a meeting the night prior to the race, and advised Darryl Greenamyer, who was in charge of the race arrangements, that if the two big airplanes participated, they wouldn't, so the two aircraft were withdrawn.

In 1970 Paulson began to develop the Gulfstream American Hustler
Gulfstream American Hustler
|-References:* The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft , 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 2055-See also:...

, a corporate aircraft that featured a propeller in front for short runway use, and a jet in back for high-altitude cruising. The concept was a pressurised business aircraft powered by a Pratt & Whitney PT6 in the nose and equipped with a standby Teledyne Continental turbine unit in the tail. The aircraft first flew on January 11, 1978, but never entered production.

In 1978 he seized the opportunity to buy the Grumman American plants and offices from Grumman for $52 million, forming the Gulfstream American Corporation. In 1982, he bought Rockwell International
Rockwell International
Rockwell International was a major American manufacturing conglomerate in the latter half of the 20th century, involved in aircraft, the space industry, both defense-oriented and commercial electronics, automotive and truck components, printing presses, valves and meters, and industrial automation....

's aviation division in Oklahoma and combined it with Gulfstream American to form Gulfstream Aerospace
Gulfstream Aerospace
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation is a producer of several models of jet aircraft. Gulfstream has been a unit of General Dynamics since 1999.The company has produced more than 1,500 aircraft for corporate, government, private, and military customers around the world...

. Paulson transformed the company into the world's largest manufacturer of private jets. Sales skyrocketed to $1 billion yearly. In June 1985, he sold the company to Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....

 for $637 million. In 1990, with the assistance of Forstmann Little & Company
Forstmann Little & Company
Forstmann, Little & Company is a private equity firm, specializing in leveraged buyouts . At its peak in the late 1990s, Forstmann Little was among the largest private equity firms globally...

, Paulson purchased all 25 million shares of Gulfstream's common stock from Chrysler, an investment of some $825 million. Paulson announced his retirement in January 1992 and his shares in the company were purchased by Forstmann Little.

In 1990, Paulson and a Gulfstream flight crew set 35 international records for around-the-world flight in a Gulfstream IV
Gulfstream G400/G450
The Gulfstream IV and derivatives are a family of twin-jet aircraft, mainly for private or business use. The aircraft was designed and built by Gulfstream Aerospace, a General Dynamics company based in Savannah, Georgia, United States from 1985 until 2003.-Design and development:Gulfstream, in...

 aircraft. In 1987 he won the Harmon Trophy
Harmon Trophy
The Harmon Trophy is a set of three international trophies, to be awarded annually to the world's outstanding aviator, aviatrix , and aeronaut...

 as the world's outstanding aviator and in 1992 was inducted into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame. Allen E. Paulson received numerous other awards during his lifetime including five honorary doctorates and the Award for Meritorious Service to Aviation
NBAA Meritorious Service to Aviation Award
The NBAA Meritorious Service to Aviation Award is an American award in aviation given annually since 1950 by the National Business Aviation Association, Inc. ....

 by the National Business Aviation Association, Inc.
National Business Aviation Association
National Business Aviation Association or NBAA, is a non-profit and nonpartisan 5016 corporation based in Washington, DC, United States. The Association represents more than 8,000 companies....



In the early 1990s, Paulson bought many automotive dealerships in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...

, where he resided. He bought the Ford, Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...

, Lincoln-Mercury
Lincoln-Mercury
Lincoln–Mercury was a collective name for the Lincoln and Mercury divisions of the Ford Motor Company, whose vehicles were typically sold side-by-side in a single dealership....

 and Rolls-Royce franchises in the area and opened the Lexus
Lexus
is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, Lexus is now sold globally and has become Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. The Lexus marque is marketed in over 70 countries and territories worldwide, and has...

 dealer in Beverly Hills.

Thoroughbred horse racing

In 1983 Allen Paulson got involved in the sport of thoroughbred horse racing. He eventually became a significant force in racing in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 and in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. A major breeder, he operated horse farms in Kentucky, Florida and California

His first American Champion in racing was Estrapade
Estrapade (horse)
Estrapade was an American Champion Thoroughbred filly racehorse. Bred in Kentucky by Nelson Bunker Hunt, she raced at age three and four in France for Bruce McNall where her most important win came in the 1984 La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte...

, the 1986 Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...

 winner as American Champion Female Turf Horse. He owned Arazi, the 1991 European Horse of the Year
Cartier Racing Award
The Cartier Racing Awards are awards in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier jewelers. The award winners are decided by points earned in group races plus the votes cast by British racing journalists and readers of the Racing Post and Daily Telegraph newspapers.Eight...

 for whom Sheikh Mohammed
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum , also Sheikh Mohammed, , is the Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates , and absolute monarch of Dubai.-Personal life and education:...

 paid him $9 miilion for a half interest. He also owned the Champion filly Azeri
Azeri (horse)
Azeri is an American Hall of Fame champion thoroughbred racehorse who was 2002 US Horse of the Year and Champion Older Female from 2002 to 2004.-Breeding:...

, although he did not live to see her compete, but his son, Michael, campaigned Azeri over three championship seasons for Paulson's trust. Paulson's most famous American horse was U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...

 inductee, Cigar
Cigar (horse)
Cigar , is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse, who in 1995 and 1996 became the first American racehorse racing against top-class competition to win 16 consecutive races since the Triple Crown winner, Citation did so in 1948 and 1950...

, a darling of race fans and the media alike who captured the Breeders' Cup Classic
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3 year olds and older run at a distance of 1¼ miles on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships...

, the first Dubai World Cup
Dubai World Cup
The Dubai World Cup is a Thoroughbred horse race held annually since 1996 and from 2010 at the Meydan Racecourse in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates...

, and was voted Eclipse Award
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...

 as American Horse of the Year in 1995 and 1996 while winning a record 16 straight races.

Allen Paulson owned more than 115 winners of graded stakes race
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...

s. His horses won a record eight Breeders' Cup
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location...

 races and earned him more Breeders' Cup
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location...

 purse money than any other stable owner. He was voted the American Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor for racehorse owners. Created in 1971, it is part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually.Past winners: -References:* *...

 in 1995 and 1996, the 1993 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor for breeders. Created in 1971, it is part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually.Its Canadian counterpart is the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Breeder....

, and the American Thoroughbred horse racing industry's highest honor, the Eclipse Award of Merit
Eclipse Award of Merit
The Eclipse Award of Merit is part of the American Eclipse Awards in Thoroughbred horse racing. The industry's highest honor, it is presented to an individual or entity displaying outstanding lifetime achievement in, and service to, the Thoroughbred industry....

. Paulson's accomplishments in the thoroughbred racing arena were numerous, including earning nearly 20 'Eclipse Awards' during his 17 years in the business, and two Hall of Fame horses, Azeri and Cigar. Paulson is still the 'all time' leading owner of 'Breeder's Cup' champion horses and earnings.

Philanthropy

A supporter of the Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University is a national public university located on a campus in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1906, it is part of the University System of Georgia and is the largest center of higher education in the southern half of Georgia offering 117 academic majors in a comprehensive...

, his company created the "Gulfstream Scholarships" in engineering technology and as a major benefactor, the University named the "Allen E. Paulson College of Science and Technology" in his honor as well as the Allen E. Paulson Stadium.

Allen E. Paulson died in 2000 in hospital near La Jolla, California from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

 at age 78. He is interred at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original location of Forest Lawn, a chain of cemeteries in Southern California. The land was formerly part of Providencia Ranch.-History:...

 in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...

.

External Links

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