William Coors
Encyclopedia
William Coors is the grandson of Adolph Coors
, the founder of the Coors Brewing Company
. William Coors has been affiliated with the company for 64 years, and was a board member from 1973 to 2003.
on August 11, 1916. He earned a Bachelors Degree, from Princeton University
in 1938 and received his Masters Degree in chemical engineering
in 1939.
Coors had three daughters with his first wife Geraldine. She suffered from alcoholism and died of illness.
In 1960, William's brother Adolph
was kidnapped and murdered.
William married his wife Phyllis in 1960s. They have one son, Scott. Coors' oldest daughter Geraldine committed suicide August 5, 1983 at the age of 40. She had been suffering from depression.
.
Coors was respected in the industry for his ability in packaging, bottling, and engineering. He is credited with pioneering the recyclable two-piece aluminum can, which is now standard throughout the industry. In the 1950s, Coors requested $250,000 from his father, CEO Adolph Coors, Jr., to build an experimental line of aluminum cans. By 1960, can recycling was perfected, and the company offered customers a one cent deposit on returned cans.
Coors was elected to the board of directors in 1973.
In 2003, at the age of 87, Coors retired from the boards of the Adolph Coors Company and the Coors Brewing Company, although he remained with the company as chief technical adviser.
's. For example, Joe's public opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment
earned the company the ire of feminist groups, even though William was on record supporting the amendment.
Coors apologized in a press conference the next day for his "unfortunate choice of words and lack of sensitivity," and said he hoped his commitment to minority groups spoke louder than his words. He stated that his words were taken out of context by the Rocky Mountain News
, which he later sued for libel. A number of people who attended the speech reported that the remarks were not considered offensive. In 1987 Coors dropped his libel suit after the Rocky Mountain News printed an article commending Coors' good record with the minority community, and expressing regret for the headline over the February 24, 1984 article.
An informal boycott of Coors was announced by the NAACP
during a March 2 meeting in Los Angeles. At the time, the AFL-CIO
had been boycotting the company for seven years over a labor dispute. At least 500 liquor stores in Southern California joined the NAACP boycott, which was suspended five days later when they reached an agreement with the company. In September, the Adolph Coors Company signed an agreement with Operation PUSH and the NAACP to invest $325 million into black communities over five years, to deposit millions of operating capital in black-owned banks, and to spend $8.8 million on advertising in black-owned media. In October, the company negotiated a similar agreement with American GI Forum
and La Raza
for $300 million. This was which was the first ever such arrangement between La Raza and any corporation.
Adolph Coors
Adolph Herman Joseph Coors, Sr. was a brewman who started the Adolph Coors Company in Golden, Colorado in 1873.-Early years:...
, the founder of the Coors Brewing Company
Coors Brewing Company
The Coors Brewing Company is a regional division of the world's fifth-largest brewing company, the Canadian Molson Coors Brewing Company and is the third-largest brewer in the United States...
. William Coors has been affiliated with the company for 64 years, and was a board member from 1973 to 2003.
Biography
Mr. Coors was born in ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
on August 11, 1916. He earned a Bachelors Degree, from 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....
in 1938 and received his Masters Degree in chemical engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
in 1939.
Coors had three daughters with his first wife Geraldine. She suffered from alcoholism and died of illness.
In 1960, William's brother Adolph
Adolph Coors III
Adolph Coors III was the grandson of Adolph Coors and heir to the Coors beer empire.-Biography:He was born on January 12, 1916 and attended Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire...
was kidnapped and murdered.
William married his wife Phyllis in 1960s. They have one son, Scott. Coors' oldest daughter Geraldine committed suicide August 5, 1983 at the age of 40. She had been suffering from depression.
Career
William Coors entered the family business as a chemical engineer for Coors Brewing CompanyCoors Brewing Company
The Coors Brewing Company is a regional division of the world's fifth-largest brewing company, the Canadian Molson Coors Brewing Company and is the third-largest brewer in the United States...
.
Coors was respected in the industry for his ability in packaging, bottling, and engineering. He is credited with pioneering the recyclable two-piece aluminum can, which is now standard throughout the industry. In the 1950s, Coors requested $250,000 from his father, CEO Adolph Coors, Jr., to build an experimental line of aluminum cans. By 1960, can recycling was perfected, and the company offered customers a one cent deposit on returned cans.
Coors was elected to the board of directors in 1973.
In 2003, at the age of 87, Coors retired from the boards of the Adolph Coors Company and the Coors Brewing Company, although he remained with the company as chief technical adviser.
Political views
William Coors' political views are considered more moderate and less outspoken than his brother JoeJoseph Coors
Joseph Coors, Sr. , was the grandson of Adolph Coors and president of Coors Brewing Company. -Birth and education:...
's. For example, Joe's public opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
earned the company the ire of feminist groups, even though William was on record supporting the amendment.
Accusations of racism
Coors was criticized for remarks he made on February 23, 1984 in a seminar held by the Minority Business Development Center in Denver. In off-the-cuff remarks, he stated that "...ancestors were dragged here in chains against their will… I would urge those of you who feel that way to go back to where your ancestors came from, and you will find out that probably the greatest favor that anybody ever did you was to drag your ancestors over here in chains, and I mean it." He also remarked Africa's economic problems stemmed from "a lack of intellectual capacity."Coors apologized in a press conference the next day for his "unfortunate choice of words and lack of sensitivity," and said he hoped his commitment to minority groups spoke louder than his words. He stated that his words were taken out of context by the Rocky Mountain News
Rocky Mountain News
The Rocky Mountain News was a daily newspaper published in Denver, Colorado, United States from April 23, 1859, until February 27, 2009. It was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company from 1926 until its closing. As of March 2006, the Monday-Friday circulation was 255,427...
, which he later sued for libel. A number of people who attended the speech reported that the remarks were not considered offensive. In 1987 Coors dropped his libel suit after the Rocky Mountain News printed an article commending Coors' good record with the minority community, and expressing regret for the headline over the February 24, 1984 article.
An informal boycott of Coors was announced by the NAACP
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
during a March 2 meeting in Los Angeles. At the time, the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
had been boycotting the company for seven years over a labor dispute. At least 500 liquor stores in Southern California joined the NAACP boycott, which was suspended five days later when they reached an agreement with the company. In September, the Adolph Coors Company signed an agreement with Operation PUSH and the NAACP to invest $325 million into black communities over five years, to deposit millions of operating capital in black-owned banks, and to spend $8.8 million on advertising in black-owned media. In October, the company negotiated a similar agreement with American GI Forum
American GI Forum
The American G.I. Forum is a Congressionally chartered Hispanic veterans and civil rights organization. Its motto is "Education is Our Freedom and Freedom should be Everybody's Business". AGIF currently operates chapters throughout the United States, with a focus on veteran's issues, education,...
and La Raza
National Council of La Raza
The National Council of La Raza is a non-profit and non-partisan advocacy group in the United States, focused on improving opportunities for Hispanics. It is sometimes confused with La Raza Unida...
for $300 million. This was which was the first ever such arrangement between La Raza and any corporation.
Positions held
- President - Coors Brewing CompanyCoors Brewing CompanyThe Coors Brewing Company is a regional division of the world's fifth-largest brewing company, the Canadian Molson Coors Brewing Company and is the third-largest brewer in the United States...
- Chairman - Coors Brewing CompanyCoors Brewing CompanyThe Coors Brewing Company is a regional division of the world's fifth-largest brewing company, the Canadian Molson Coors Brewing Company and is the third-largest brewer in the United States...
- President - Castle Rock FoundationCastle Rock FoundationThe Castle Rock Foundation is a conservative foundation started in 1993 with an endowment of $36.6M from the Adolph Coors Foundation. It ranked as Colorado's 15th largest foundation by assets at the end of 2001...
- Founding Member - The Future 500
- Honorary Chairman - SEED
- Trustee - Colorado School of MinesColorado School of MinesThe Colorado School of Mines is a small public teaching and research university devoted to engineering and applied science, with special expertise in the development and stewardship of the Earth's natural resources. Located in Golden, Colorado, CSM was ranked 29th, in America among national...