| George Strawbridge, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 10, 1937 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States |
| Residence | Cochranville, Pennsylvania |
| Education | Trinity College, University of Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Educator, historian, investor, sportsman |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Nina S. Strawbridge |
| Children | George III, Andrew, Stewart |
| Parents | George W. Strawbridge, Sr. (1909-1990) & Margaret Winifred Dorrance (1915-1953) |
George W. Strawbridge, Jr. (born October 10, 1937) is an American educator, historian, investor, sportsman, and philanthropist.
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Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania he was the son of Margaret ("Peggy") Dorrance and stockbroker George W. Strawbridge, Sr.. He studied at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut where he earned a Bachelor's degree. He furthered his studies at the University of Pennsylvania where he specialized in Latin American history and politics, earning a Master's degree and his Doctorate. For a time, Strawbridge was an adjunct professor at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania where he remains a member of its Board of Trustees.
George Strawbridge, Jr.'s mother was the daughter of Dr. John Thompson Dorrance, owner of the Campbell Soup Company. On her father's passing she inherited a significant interest in the company. George Strawbridge, Jr. has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Campbell Soup Company since 1988, filling the vacancy left by his ailing father, who died in 1990. He has served as a member of the company's Audit Committee and a member of the Finance & Corporate Development Committee.
George Strawbridge, Jr. joined the board of Directors of the Delaware Trust Company in December 1978. In May 1987 Delaware Trust was taken over by Meridian Bancorp Inc., at the time Pennsylvania's fifth-largest bank holding company. [1] In the fall of 1995, CoreStates Financial Corporation acquired Meridian Bancorp for $3.2 billion, and Strawbridge became the largest individual shareholder in Corestates Financial Corporation and was named to its Board of Directors. In April 1998, CoreStates Financial Corporation merged with First Union Corporation in the largest merger at the time in the history of American banking. Later, First Union merged with Wachovia Corporation.
George Strawbridge, Jr. was an active shareholder and director of the Buffalo Sabres NHL ice hockey club and a member of the team's executive committee for more than thirty years. In 2004, he was inducted in the Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame. [2] According to WGR 550 sports radio in Buffalo, New York, "In the 1990s, Strawbridge expanded revenue streams and played a leading role in producing new capital for the franchise. When illness and other factors forced the Knox family to limit their involvement, it was Strawbridge's commitment to Buffalo hockey that helped keep the Sabres alive."
George Strawbridge, Jr. acquired acreage in the Brandywine Valley in southeastern Pennsylvania and established Augustin Stable as his breeding and racing operation for both steeplechase and flat racing. He and his wife make their home in Cochranville near their Derry Meeting Farm. Active in the National Steeplechase Association (NSA), George Strawbridge has served as its president, chairman, and chairman emeritus and is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Steeplechase Museum in Camden, South Carolina. [3] The all-time leading money-winning steeplechase owner in the United States, in 1979 the NSA honored him with their F. Ambrose Clark Award given to someone "who has done the most to promote, improve and encourage the growth of steeplechasing in America."
Since 1976, George Strawbridge has been a member of The Jockey Club and along with Ogden Mills Phipps, is one of only two Americans to be members the Jockey Club of Canada. Strawbridge also sits on the Board of Trustees of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. He is also a former owner of Tybridge Farm in Chesapeake City, Maryland.
His Thoroughbreds compete in flat racing across North America and in Europe. He bred many of the horses that he raced. His notable runners includes:
George Strawbridge, Jr. is a first cousin to Charlotte C. Weber, the daughter of Ethel M. Dorrance and her husband Tristram Coffin Colket. Ms. Weber is also involved in Thoroughbred breeding and racing as the owner of the prominent Live Oak Stud in Ocala, Florida. [4]
George Strawbridge, Jr. and his wife support a variety of causes including environmental, medical, and cultural institutions. Among them, he gave $2 million to create the Margaret Dorrance Strawbridge Foundation Translational Cancer Research Endowment at the Lucille P. Markey Cancer Center in Lexington, Kentucky. [5]
He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Winterthur Museum near Greenville, Delaware .