David T. Kearns
Encyclopedia
David Todd Kearns was an American businessman who was CEO of Xerox Corporation (1982–1990) and Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education (1991–1993). He died on the 25th of February, 2011.
, New York
where he met his future wife, Shirley Virginia Cox. He earned a degree in business administration in 1952 from the University of Rochester
. Kearns entered U.S. Navy flight school and was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea
aboard the USS Coral Sea
as an airman. Starting in 1954, Kearns worked at IBM
.
, Connecticut
. In 1977, he became Xerox President and Chief Operating Officer
. In 1982, Kearns became CEO of Xerox Corporation. In 1985, Kearns succeeded Charles Peter McColough
as Chairman of Xerox.
confirmed him for the position on May 31, 1991.
Following the Rodney King
riots in Los Angeles
, California
, President George H.W. Bush appointed Kearns as White House
liaison to help resolve the conflict.
's Graduate School of Education
where he taught for two years. Kearns has served on the board of trustees for the Ford Foundation
, Time Warner
, Dayton Hudson, and Ryder
. He is also a former Chairman of the National Urban League
.
Kearns was Chairman of New American Schools, an organization dedicated to excellence in American schools. New American Schools has since merged with the American Institutes for Research.
The University of Rochester
established the David T. Kearns Center for Leadership and Diversity in Science and Engineering to expand the pool of individuals who pursue undergraduate and graduate careers in the sciences and engineering.
Kearns has published three books including: Winning the Brain Race (1991), A Legacy of Learning (1999) and Crossing the Bridge: Family, Business, Education, Cancer, and the Lessons Learned (2005).
Kearns and his wife, Shirley, have four daughters and two sons. They have 18 grandchildren, one of which, Geoffrey Kearns Young is currently enrolled at the University of Alabama.
Death: According to the New York Times, “David T. Kearns, a former chief executive at the Xerox Corporation and a champion of education reform who served as deputy secretary of education under the first President George Bush, died Friday, February 25th, 2011 at a hospice near his winter home in Vero Beach, Florida at the age of 80 from complications related to sinus cancer, which he had battled since 1992, according to the University of Rochester, where he served as a trustee for more than three decades.”
Early life
Kearns grew up in RochesterRochester, 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...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where he met his future wife, Shirley Virginia Cox. He earned a degree in business administration in 1952 from 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...
. Kearns entered U.S. Navy flight school and was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
aboard the USS Coral Sea
USS Coral Sea (CV-43)
USS Coral Sea , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of the Coral Sea. She earned the affectionate nickname "Ageless Warrior" through her long career...
as an airman. Starting in 1954, Kearns worked at IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
.
Xerox Corporation
In 1971, Kearns joined Xerox Corporation as Vice President. He also served as head of U.S./Marketing and Service at Xerox in Rochester, New York and later as Vice President of Foreign Markets in StamfordStamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. In 1977, he became Xerox President and Chief Operating Officer
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
. In 1982, Kearns became CEO of Xerox Corporation. In 1985, Kearns succeeded Charles Peter McColough
Charles Peter McColough
Charles Peter Philip Paul McColough was the joint creater, founder, and owner of the Xerox Corporation , and was a former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board at Xerox. He retired in the late 1980s, after serving over 14 years as CEO...
as Chairman of Xerox.
Department of Education
Kearns was nominated by President George H.W. Bush as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education on March 22, 1991. The United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
confirmed him for the position on May 31, 1991.
Following the Rodney King
Rodney King
Rodney Glen King is an American best known for his involvement in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department on March 3, 1991...
riots in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, President George H.W. Bush appointed Kearns as White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
liaison to help resolve the conflict.
Private life
Kearns left the US Department of Education on January 20, 1993. He later joined the faculty of Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
's Graduate School of Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
The Harvard Graduate School of Education is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University, and is one of the top schools of education in the United States. It was founded in 1920, the same year it invented the Ed.D...
where he taught for two years. Kearns has served on the board of trustees for the Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
, Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
, Dayton Hudson, and Ryder
Ryder
Ryder System, Inc. , or Ryder, is an American-based provider of transportation and supply chain management products, and is especially known for its fleet of rental trucks. Ryder specializes in fleet management, supply chain management and dedicated contracted carriage. Ryder operates in North...
. He is also a former Chairman of the National Urban League
National Urban League
The National Urban League , formerly known as the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, is a nonpartisan civil rights organization based in New York City that advocates on behalf of African Americans and against racial discrimination in the United States. It is the oldest and largest...
.
Kearns was Chairman of New American Schools, an organization dedicated to excellence in American schools. New American Schools has since merged with the American Institutes for Research.
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 the David T. Kearns Center for Leadership and Diversity in Science and Engineering to expand the pool of individuals who pursue undergraduate and graduate careers in the sciences and engineering.
Kearns has published three books including: Winning the Brain Race (1991), A Legacy of Learning (1999) and Crossing the Bridge: Family, Business, Education, Cancer, and the Lessons Learned (2005).
Kearns and his wife, Shirley, have four daughters and two sons. They have 18 grandchildren, one of which, Geoffrey Kearns Young is currently enrolled at the University of Alabama.
Death: According to the New York Times, “David T. Kearns, a former chief executive at the Xerox Corporation and a champion of education reform who served as deputy secretary of education under the first President George Bush, died Friday, February 25th, 2011 at a hospice near his winter home in Vero Beach, Florida at the age of 80 from complications related to sinus cancer, which he had battled since 1992, according to the University of Rochester, where he served as a trustee for more than three decades.”