Sanford N. McDonnell
Encyclopedia
Sanford "Sandy" N. McDonnell (born 1922) is an American engineer, businessman and philanthropist. Former chairman and chief executive officer
of McDonnell Douglas Corporation, he also served as national president of the Boy Scouts of America
and as chairman of Character Education Partnership
. He was "Man of the Year" in St. Louis in 1984.
, McDonnell attended Princeton University
, the University of Colorado
and Washington University, achieving bachelor's degrees in economics (1945) and mechanical engineering (1948) and a master's degree in applied mechanics (1954). In 1948, he joined McDonnell Douglas Corporation, a company founded by his uncle James S. McDonnell, as a stress engineer. He rose within the ranks of the company to become president in 1971. The following year, he became chief executive officer. In 1980, James S. McDonnell died, and McDonnell succeeded him as chairman of the board, a role he retained until 1988. He has also been chairman of the board of governors of the Aerospace Industries Association.
. During his term with McDonnell Douglas, he used the Scout Promise
as the basis for a work Code of Ethics. Following his retirement, McDonnell turned his focus to education and the need of focusing on character in public schools. After establishing a program in St. Louis public schools (the Personal Responsibility Education Process), he became founding chair of the national Character Education Partnership in 1993, a position he held until 2005.
McDonnell has also served in other areas. In 1987, he became the first president of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
, a national program in the United States to recognize organizations that "have a role-model organizational management system that ensures continuous improvement in the delivery of products and/or services, demonstrates efficient and effective operations, and provides a way of engaging and responding to customers and other stakeholders."
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of McDonnell Douglas Corporation, he also served as national president of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
and as chairman of Character Education Partnership
Character Education Partnership
The ' is an advocacy group for character education based in Washington, D.C. It is a "nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian, coalition of organizations and individuals committed to fostering effective character education in our nation's K-12 schools." CEP's mission is "Leading the nation in helping...
. He was "Man of the Year" in St. Louis in 1984.
Career
A native of Little Rock, ArkansasArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, McDonnell attended Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, the University of Colorado
University of Colorado
The University of Colorado system is a system of public universities in Colorado consisting of three universities in four campuses: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and University of Colorado Denver in downtown Denver and at the Anschutz Medical Campus in...
and Washington University, achieving bachelor's degrees in economics (1945) and mechanical engineering (1948) and a master's degree in applied mechanics (1954). In 1948, he joined McDonnell Douglas Corporation, a company founded by his uncle James S. McDonnell, as a stress engineer. He rose within the ranks of the company to become president in 1971. The following year, he became chief executive officer. In 1980, James S. McDonnell died, and McDonnell succeeded him as chairman of the board, a role he retained until 1988. He has also been chairman of the board of governors of the Aerospace Industries Association.
Philanthropy
During his service with McDonnell Douglas, McDonnell had a strong interest in ethics. As a child, he had been a boy scout, rising to the rank of Star Scout. He continued as an adult to become an Eagle ScoutEagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
. During his term with McDonnell Douglas, he used the Scout Promise
Scout Promise
Since the publication of Scouting for Boys in 1908, all Scouts and Guides around the world have taken a Scout promise or oath to live up to ideals of the movement, and subscribed to a Scout Law. The wording of the Scout Promise and Scout Law have varied slightly over time and from country to...
as the basis for a work Code of Ethics. Following his retirement, McDonnell turned his focus to education and the need of focusing on character in public schools. After establishing a program in St. Louis public schools (the Personal Responsibility Education Process), he became founding chair of the national Character Education Partnership in 1993, a position he held until 2005.
McDonnell has also served in other areas. In 1987, he became the first president of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recognizes U.S. organizations in the business, health care, education, and nonprofit sectors for performance excellence. The Baldrige Award is the only formal recognition of the performance excellence of both public and private U.S. organizations given by...
, a national program in the United States to recognize organizations that "have a role-model organizational management system that ensures continuous improvement in the delivery of products and/or services, demonstrates efficient and effective operations, and provides a way of engaging and responding to customers and other stakeholders."