John Robert Beyster
Encyclopedia
Dr. John Robert Beyster is the founder of Science Applications International Corporation
, the largest employee-owned research and engineering company in the United States. He was Chairman of the Board until his retirement in July 2004, and also served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) until November 2003. A recognized authority on national security and reactor physics, Dr. Beyster committed 35 years of his life to building SAIC on the founding tenets of employee ownership and technical excellence. In recent years, he has extended this commitment to the American business community by founding two nonprofit organizations to assist organizations considering employee ownership—the Beyster Institute
and the Foundation for Enterprise Development.
Dr. Beyster was born in Detroit, Michigan
, in 1924, and grew up in Grosse Ile, Michigan. He attended school at Slocum Truax High School in Trenton, Michigan
, and was salutatorian
of his graduating class. As he was preparing to graduate from high school, the United States entered World War II
, and he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was sent to college at the University of Michigan
, where he was enrolled in the V12 Officer Training Program
. He was commissioned as an ensign, and eventually served on a destroyer based in Norfolk, Virginia
before leaving the service six months later. Educated at the University of Michigan
(COE: BSE, MS, PhD), Dr. Beyster worked as a scientist for Westinghouse Atomic Power Division on the company’s nuclear submarine program in the 1950s. He soon followed many of his college associates to New Mexico
to work as a research physicist
at the Los Alamos National Laboratory
. In 1957 he became the chairman of the Accelerator Physics Department of General Atomics
where he remained until it was bought by Gulf Oil
in 1968.
In 1969, Dr. Beyster raised money to start Science Applications, Inc. (SAI) by investing the proceeds from selling stock he had received from General Atomic, combined with funds raised from the early employees who bought stock in the young enterprise. The company was renamed Science Applications International Corporation
(SAIC) as it expanded its operations. Initially the company’s focus was on projects for the U.S. government related to nuclear power and weapons effects study programs. Contrary to traditional business models, Dr. Beyster designed SAIC so that ownership of the company and profits belonged to the company’s employees. This shared ownership was accompanied by shared responsibility and freedom in business development. SAIC attracted and retained highly educated (most with PhDs or Masters degrees) and motivated entrepreneurs that helped the company to grow and diversify. Today, SAIC performs projects for commercial and government customers related to information technology, systems integration and eSolutions, national and homeland security, energy, the environment, space, telecommunications, health care, and logistics. When Dr. Beyster retired as Chairman of SAIC on July 16, 2004, the company had annual revenues of $6.7 billion and more than 43,000 employees.
Dr. Beyster founded the Foundation for Enterprise Development in 1986 "to help develop successful enterprises in the U.S. and around the world" by focusing on "advancing entrepreneurship and employee ownership through its work with technologists, entrepreneurs, executives, governments, and educators." In 2004, the Foundation launched the Beyster Institute
, which is "dedicated to training, education, and consulting in employee ownership and entrepreneurship."
Dr. Beyster has written or co-authored approximately 60 publications and reports, as well as the recent book, The SAIC Solution: How We Built an $8 Billion Employee-Owned Technology Company, published by John Wiley & Sons
in 2007. A fellow of the American Nuclear Society
, Dr. Beyster has served as Chairman of its Reactor Physics Division and Shielding Division. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society
, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group to the Director, Strategic Target Planning Staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering
. He also serves as Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Directors of the University of California San Diego Foundation.
Defense Advanced Research Project Agency designated Dr. Beyster an Honorary Program Manager for his distinguished contributions to the agency over his career. He also received the Engineering Manager of the Year Award in 2000 from the American Society of Engineering Management, the 2001 Spirit of San Diego Award from the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Lifetime Achievement Award from Ernst & Young
in 2003, and the “Supporter of Entrepreneurialism” award from Arthur Young and Venture magazine — at their Entrepreneur of the Year awards ceremony — for his efforts to support and promote entrepreneurship.
In 2006, the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) recognized Dr. Beyster with the Herb Klein Civic Leadership Award for his outstanding leadership in addressing regional challenges through collaboration with public, private, and civic partners. Dr. Beyster is the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the University of California, San Diego’s CONNECT program for providing 25 years of outstanding service to the community. The Horatio Alger Association for Distinguished Americans selected Dr. Beyster to be a 2008 Horatio Alger Award recipient. This honor is bestowed upon those individuals who have overcome adversity to achieve great successes through the American free enterprise system.
A former naval man, Beyster enjoys sailing and is the owner of Solutions, a Hinckley motor yacht. While Dr. Beyster was still at SAIC, the company backed and provided critical design technology to a number of U.S entries in the America's Cup
race.
Science Applications International Corporation
SAIC is a FORTUNE 500 scientific, engineering and technology applications company headquartered in the United States with numerous federal, state, and private sector clients...
, the largest employee-owned research and engineering company in the United States. He was Chairman of the Board until his retirement in July 2004, and also served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) until November 2003. A recognized authority on national security and reactor physics, Dr. Beyster committed 35 years of his life to building SAIC on the founding tenets of employee ownership and technical excellence. In recent years, he has extended this commitment to the American business community by founding two nonprofit organizations to assist organizations considering employee ownership—the Beyster Institute
Beyster Institute
The Beyster Institute was launched in 2002 at the Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego in order to advance the use of entrepreneurship and employee company ownership. The Beyster Institute began as the Foundation for Enterprise Development in 1986 by Dr. John Robert...
and the Foundation for Enterprise Development.
Dr. Beyster was born in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, in 1924, and grew up in Grosse Ile, Michigan. He attended school at Slocum Truax High School in Trenton, Michigan
Trenton, Michigan
Trenton is a small city in Wayne County in the southeast portion of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,853...
, and was salutatorian
Salutatorian
Salutatorian is an academic title given, in the United States and Canada, to the second highest graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point average and number of credits taken, but...
of his graduating class. As he was preparing to graduate from high school, the United States entered 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...
, and he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was sent to college at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, where he was enrolled in the V12 Officer Training Program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
. He was commissioned as an ensign, and eventually served on a destroyer based in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
before leaving the service six months later. Educated at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
(COE: BSE, MS, PhD), Dr. Beyster worked as a scientist for Westinghouse Atomic Power Division on the company’s nuclear submarine program in the 1950s. He soon followed many of his college associates to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
to work as a research physicist
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at the Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory, managed and operated by Los Alamos National Security , located in Los Alamos, New Mexico...
. In 1957 he became the chairman of the Accelerator Physics Department of General Atomics
General Atomics
General Atomics is a nuclear physics and defense contractor headquartered in San Diego, California. General Atomics’ research into fission and fusion matured into competencies in related technologies, allowing the company to expand into other fields of research...
where he remained until it was bought by Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies...
in 1968.
In 1969, Dr. Beyster raised money to start Science Applications, Inc. (SAI) by investing the proceeds from selling stock he had received from General Atomic, combined with funds raised from the early employees who bought stock in the young enterprise. The company was renamed Science Applications International Corporation
Science Applications International Corporation
SAIC is a FORTUNE 500 scientific, engineering and technology applications company headquartered in the United States with numerous federal, state, and private sector clients...
(SAIC) as it expanded its operations. Initially the company’s focus was on projects for the U.S. government related to nuclear power and weapons effects study programs. Contrary to traditional business models, Dr. Beyster designed SAIC so that ownership of the company and profits belonged to the company’s employees. This shared ownership was accompanied by shared responsibility and freedom in business development. SAIC attracted and retained highly educated (most with PhDs or Masters degrees) and motivated entrepreneurs that helped the company to grow and diversify. Today, SAIC performs projects for commercial and government customers related to information technology, systems integration and eSolutions, national and homeland security, energy, the environment, space, telecommunications, health care, and logistics. When Dr. Beyster retired as Chairman of SAIC on July 16, 2004, the company had annual revenues of $6.7 billion and more than 43,000 employees.
Dr. Beyster founded the Foundation for Enterprise Development in 1986 "to help develop successful enterprises in the U.S. and around the world" by focusing on "advancing entrepreneurship and employee ownership through its work with technologists, entrepreneurs, executives, governments, and educators." In 2004, the Foundation launched the Beyster Institute
Beyster Institute
The Beyster Institute was launched in 2002 at the Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego in order to advance the use of entrepreneurship and employee company ownership. The Beyster Institute began as the Foundation for Enterprise Development in 1986 by Dr. John Robert...
, which is "dedicated to training, education, and consulting in employee ownership and entrepreneurship."
Dr. Beyster has written or co-authored approximately 60 publications and reports, as well as the recent book, The SAIC Solution: How We Built an $8 Billion Employee-Owned Technology Company, published by John Wiley & Sons
John Wiley & Sons
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., also referred to as Wiley, is a global publishing company that specializes in academic publishing and markets its products to professionals and consumers, students and instructors in higher education, and researchers and practitioners in scientific, technical, medical, and...
in 2007. A fellow of the American Nuclear Society
American Nuclear Society
The American Nuclear Society is an international, not-for-profit 501 scientific and educational organization with a membership of approximately 11,000 scientists, engineers, educators, students, and other associate members. Approximately 900 members live outside the United States in 40 countries....
, Dr. Beyster has served as Chairman of its Reactor Physics Division and Shielding Division. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group to the Director, Strategic Target Planning Staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a body of senior uniformed leaders in the United States Department of Defense who advise the Secretary of Defense, the Homeland Security Council, the National Security Council and the President on military matters...
, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
. He also serves as Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Directors of the University of California San Diego Foundation.
Defense Advanced Research Project Agency designated Dr. Beyster an Honorary Program Manager for his distinguished contributions to the agency over his career. He also received the Engineering Manager of the Year Award in 2000 from the American Society of Engineering Management, the 2001 Spirit of San Diego Award from the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Lifetime Achievement Award from Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
in 2003, and the “Supporter of Entrepreneurialism” award from Arthur Young and Venture magazine — at their Entrepreneur of the Year awards ceremony — for his efforts to support and promote entrepreneurship.
In 2006, the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) recognized Dr. Beyster with the Herb Klein Civic Leadership Award for his outstanding leadership in addressing regional challenges through collaboration with public, private, and civic partners. Dr. Beyster is the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the University of California, San Diego’s CONNECT program for providing 25 years of outstanding service to the community. The Horatio Alger Association for Distinguished Americans selected Dr. Beyster to be a 2008 Horatio Alger Award recipient. This honor is bestowed upon those individuals who have overcome adversity to achieve great successes through the American free enterprise system.
A former naval man, Beyster enjoys sailing and is the owner of Solutions, a Hinckley motor yacht. While Dr. Beyster was still at SAIC, the company backed and provided critical design technology to a number of U.S entries in the America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
race.
External links
- Science Applications International Corporation
- The Beyster Institute
- The Foundation for Enterprise Development
- Dr. Beyster’s Blog
- Dr. Beyster's Facebook Page
- The SAIC Solution: How We Built an $8 Billion Employee-Owned Technology Company (ISBN 978-0470097526)