J. R. Simplot
| J. R. "Jack" Simplot | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
John Richard Simplot January 4, 1909 Dubuque, Iowa |
| Died | May 25, 2008 (aged 99) Boise, Idaho |
| Resting place | Morris Hill Cemetery Boise, Idaho |
| Residence | Boise, Idaho |
| Nationality | United States |
| Other names | Jack, J.R., John |
| Education | Eighth grade dropout |
| Known for | Founder and chairman emeritus of J. R. Simplot Company, oldest member of the Forbes 400. |
| Net worth |
 $3.6 billion |
| Spouse(s) | Esther Becker (b. 1934) (m. 1972–2008, his death) Ruby Adeline Rosevear (1911–2004) (m. 1931–1960, divorce) |
| Children | Richard R. Simplot (1934–1993) Donald J. Simplot – (b. 1936) Gay C. Simplot – (b. 1945) Scott R. Simplot – (b. 1947) |
| Parent(s) | Charles Richard Simplot (1883–1974) Dorothy Ann Haxby Simplot (1883–1945) |
John Richard ("Jack" or "J.R.") Simplot (/ˈsɪmplɒt/; January 4, 1909 – May 25, 2008) was an American entrepreneur and businessman best known as the founder of the J. R. Simplot Company, a Boise, Idaho based agricultural supplier specializing in potato products. In 2007 he was estimated to be the 89th-richest person in the United States, at $3.6 billion. At the time of his death at age 99 in May 2008, he was the oldest billionaire on the Forbes 400.
Born in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1909, he was the third of six children of Charles R. and Dorothy (Haxby) Simplot. His maternal grandmother was English, as were both parents of both his maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother. Both of his paternal grandfather's parents were French. A year later, the family relocated a thousand miles (1600 km) west to homestead in the newly irrigated Magic Valley of south central Idaho. After differences with his authoritarian father, Simplot quit school in the eighth grade and left home to strike out on his own at age 14 in 1923. He then worked on a farm near Declo where he developed a creative method for feeding hogs, before getting into the potato and vegetable processing business.
By World War II, the J. R. Simplot Company had become the largest shipper of fresh potatoes in the nation.
In 1967, Simplot and McDonald's founder Ray Kroc agreed by handshake that the Simplot Company would provide frozen french fries to the restaurant chain. Previously, restaurants had cut potatoes at each location for fresh french fries, but the favored russet potato was not available for three months in the summer, leading to a quality control problem. Simplot was able to supply frozen russet potatoes all year long. By 1972, all fries were frozen. The frozen fry deal led to expansion of Simplot potato processing plants and construction in 1977 of a new plant at Hermiston, Oregon. By 2005, Simplot supplied more than half of all french fries for the fast food chain. Simplot also produces fertilizers for agriculture.
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