[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 143 (Wednesday, September 21, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5952-S5954]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING EWING MARION KAUFFMAN

 Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I ask the Senate to join me 
today in honoring the 100th birthday celebration of Ewing Kauffman. Mr. 
Kauffman was a Kansas City and Missouri icon who lived a life that 
would make all Americans proud. From founding a pharmaceutical empire, 
to bringing Major League Baseball back to Kansas City, to establishing 
a philanthropic foundation that continues to change lives to this day, 
Mr. Kauffman built a legacy that is deserving of all of our respect.
  On June 1, 1950, Mr. Kauffman opened Marion Laboratories. ``Mr. K'' 
operated this company from the basement of his home and used his middle 
name as the company name so that people wouldn't know they were dealing 
with a small, one-man operation. As he built this humble company into 
an industry leader, he did so with two guiding philosophies: No. 1, 
share the rewards with those who produce, and No. 2, treat others the 
way you wish to be treated. Profit sharing wasn't an industry practice 
at the time, but it was vital to the company's success and an example 
of Mr. Kauffman's generosity. By the time the company was sold in 1989, 
it had provided jobs for 3,400 associates, showed a $227 million 
profit, and made 300 Marion Labs associates instant millionaires.
  In 1968 Mr. Kauffman said, ``Kansas City has been good to me, and I 
want to show I can return the favor.'' It was that year that he and 
Kansas City were awarded a Major League Baseball expansion franchise--
the Kansas City Royals were born. However, having a team was not enough 
for Mr. K; the team needed to win and win a lot. During his time as 
owner, the Royals won six division titles, two American League 
pennants, and the 1985 World Series Championship; yet even that was not 
enough for him to ``return the favor'' to Kansas City. Mr. Kauffman, 
worried that a new owner would move the franchise out of Kansas City 
upon his death, set up an imaginative strategy to ensure that didn't 
happen. Namely, the profit of the sale by a new owner would have to go 
to local Kansas City charities, essentially ensuring the franchise 
would stay in Kansas City. Because of this forward thinking, I am sure 
Mr. K was smiling down as approximately 800,000 Kansas Citians 
celebrated at the Royals 2015 World Series Championship Parade.

[[Page S5953]]

  Even with all that he did during his life, his most lasting legacy 
will be establishing the foundation that bears his name and continues 
to effect change to this day: the Kauffman Foundation. Mr. Kauffman 
regarded his education and ability to be an entrepreneur to be pivotal 
in his life. For that reason, the Kauffman Foundation focuses its grant 
making on those two areas, giving people the resources needed to be 
self-sufficient and make positive change in their community.
  Reflecting on his philanthropy, Mr. Kauffman said, ``All the money in 
the world cannot solve problems unless we work together. And, if we 
work together, there is no problem in the world that can stop us, as we 
seek to develop people to their highest and best potential.'' Words 
that are as true today as they were during his life.
  Mr. President, I ask that the Senate join me in honoring the 100th 
birthday celebration and the life and achievements of one of Kansas 
City and the State of Missouri's finest citizens, Ewing Marion 
Kauffman.
 Mr. BLUNT. Mr. President, over the last several years, when 
Missourians and people across the country open their newspapers or 
watch the news, they are bombarded with reports that make them feel 
anxious about the direction of our Nation and the future our children 
and grandchildren will inherit.
  At times like these, when we are filled with anxiety and uncertainty, 
it is important to remind ourselves of the good done by great Americans 
in their communities. One man or woman can make a tangible difference 
to improve the lives of many.
  Today I want to recognize one such a great American, as well as 
Missouri native, Ewing Marion Kauffman, on the 100th anniversary of his 
birth.
  Residents of Kansas City knew and still know Ewing Marion Kauffman 
well. They are reminded of his lasting legacy every time they see the 
work of the Kauffman Foundation or when they visit Kauffman Stadium--
``The K''--to see the Kansas City Royals.
  However, Mr. Kauffman is perhaps best known for his vision that a 
quality education is the foundation for self-sufficiency, and he used 
philanthropy to help foster a society of economically independent 
individuals who are actively engaged in their communities. Indeed, Mr. 
Kauffman's vision has left an indelible mark on the lives of so many.
  By way of background, Ewing Marion Kauffman was born on September 21, 
1916, on a farm in Garden City, MO. The son of John and Effie May, the 
Kauffman family moved to Kansas City when Ewing was just a boy--a place 
he called home the rest of his life.
  Ewing Kauffman was from the generation that weathered the Great 
Depression. As a boy, he helped his family make ends meet by selling 
eggs and magazines door to door, even diving into muddy underwater 
burrows to catch catfish so he could sell them.
  During World War II, he served his country in defense of freedom by 
joining the U.S. Navy. When the war ended, Ewing Kauffman became a 
salesman for a pharmaceutical company. A born salesman, by the end of 
his second year, he is said to have earned more in commissions alone 
than the salary of the president of the company he worked for.
  In 1950, Mr. Kauffman struck out and started his own pharmaceutical 
company: Marion Laboratories.
  A few things to note about Marion Laboratories. First, there was no 
lab. Ewing Kauffman founded this startup in his basement. Second, in a 
field that requires huge amounts of capital in scientific research, Mr. 
Kauffman's ``research division'' consisted of him reading medical 
journals. As one biographer noted: ``He was in a business that was 
rooted in science and fueled by research, and he had only a smattering 
of the former and could not afford the latter.''
  What Mr. Kauffman had in spades, however, was an innate understanding 
of marketing and an ability to sell a product.
  Why call his new startup ``Marion Laboratories?''
  He used his middle name to suggest that it wasn't a one-man 
operation.
  How good a salesman was he?
  In its first year, Marion Labs made $36,000 in sales. By the time he 
sold the company in 1989, it made $1 billion in sales and employed over 
3,400 people.
  Ewing Kauffman's philosophy in life can be summed up in three basic 
principles he adhered to:
  First, treat others as you want to be treated.
  Second, share life's rewards with those who make them possible.
  Third, give back to society.
  Actions speak louder than words, and it is easy to find examples of 
Mr. Kauffman's actions that support the principles by which he lived.
  A popular boss who treated all his employees with dignity and 
respect, his employees affectionately took to simply calling him Mr. K. 
In terms of sharing life's rewards, he offered his employees a profit-
sharing plan, stock options, and education benefits. By 1968, 20 of 
Marion's employees had become millionaires--and reportedly, hundreds 
had become millionaires by 1989.
  But what really makes Ewing Kauffman stand out was his commitment to 
his third principle: Giving back to society.
  There is not enough time to recount all of the work Mr. K did for 
Kansas City. He was passionate about improving lives and helping to 
make Kansas City a better place to live and work. I want to take a 
moment to highlight just a few of his contributions.
  First, in 1968, he brought Major League Baseball back to Kansas City. 
The unique thing about this is that he acquired the team for the 
benefit of the city. The Kansas City Royals provided the community with 
a sense of pride, solidarity, and identity. This is all the more true 
given the Royals' success--they have won six American League West 
titles, two pennants, participated in four World Series, and won two 
World Series championships in 1985 and 2015.
  Second, in 1966, he founded the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a 
philanthropic organization committed to helping people through 
education and entrepreneurship and changing the trajectory of their 
lives.
  Always cognizant of the need to create more and better paying jobs, 
Kauffman saw education and entrepreneurship as two ends of a continuum. 
As such, he directed the foundation's mission to be one that helps 
individuals attain economic independence by advancing educational 
achievement and entrepreneurial success.
  Today the Kauffman Foundation is among the largest private 
foundations in the U.S., with an asset base of approximately $2 
billion, and it sponsors dozens of fundraisers every year to support 
other nonprofits, funding organizations that accelerate positive change 
where it is needed most.
  Lastly, I want to highlight something really unique. In 1988, Mr. 
Kauffman went to Kansas City Westport High School--the school he 
graduated from in 1934--to launch Project Choice.
  By the late 1980s, Westport High School was plagued with a 30-percent 
dropout rate, and the disadvantaged students who attended had to 
contend with the scourge of serious drug and alcohol abuse. Project 
Choice was a deal Mr. K struck with 250 eighth graders who were about 
to attend Westport High School.
  Ewing Kauffman offered the students--with the involvement of their 
parents--a 4-year scholarship to the college, university, or vocational 
school of their choice, including costs of tuition, books, fees, and 
room and board. What was the catch you might ask? Each child must 
graduate from high school in 4 years, have regular attendance, no 
serious disciplinary problems, and abstain from drugs and alcohol. 
Additionally, their parents had to agree to meet regularly with their 
children's teachers, coaches, and counselors and participate in school 
activities.
  When asked why he was taking this initiative, Mr. K responded: ``We 
have racial discrimination now. We have economic discrimination now . . 
. the answer to social and economic injustice is education.''
  He later expanded Project Choice to other schools across the Kansas 
City area.
  In 2001, after learning from both successes and challenges with 
Project Choice, the Kauffman Foundation updated the program to 
emphasize college access, college preparation, and college graduation 
as part of its Kauffman Scholars Program.
  In short, through its many programs, initiatives, and grants, the 
Kauffman

[[Page S5954]]

Foundation embodies Mr. K's principles. Through its research and 
programs, the foundation continues to work to increase the percentage 
of students who achieve successful academic and life outcomes--to 
create the self-reliant human capital necessary for entrepreneurial 
success.
  Ewing Kauffman saw himself as a common man who did uncommon things. 
He constantly challenged those around him to reach their full potential 
and improve the lives of their families and communities. He built a 
lasting legacy in Kansas City.
  Each one of us is capable of doing the same if we live by his 
principles: to treat others as you would like to be treated, to share 
life's rewards with those who make them possible, and to give back to 
society.
  That philosophy is perhaps his greatest legacy, and it is a legacy 
this body should recognize because those principles--combined with a 
commitment to education and entrepreneurship--are what make good 
citizens great.
 Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the 100th 
birthday of Ewing Marion Kauffman, an exceptionally successful Kansas 
City businessman who also cared deeply about the community he lived in.
  Mr. Kauffman was an entrepreneur working out of the basement of his 
modest Kansas City home when he founded Marion Laboratories in June of 
1950. By 1965, he had grown his small pharmaceutical business into a 
publicly traded company and introduced an innovative profit-sharing 
model so that all of his associates would reap the financial benefits 
of his company's accomplishments. His lifelong focus on enabling others 
to succeed has benefitted generations of Kansans and all in the Kansas 
City community.
  By 1989, Marion Laboratories merged with Merrell Dow to form Marion 
Merrell Dow, which provided jobs for 3,400 associates. Marion Merrell 
Dow became the fifth largest drug company in the United States in terms 
of sales. Leading Mr. Kauffman to this success were two guiding 
philosophic principles: No. 1, share the rewards with those who produce 
and No. 2, treat others as you wish to be treated. His principles 
continue to serve as a model of professional culture to new businesses 
across a wide variety of industries, and oftentimes, these new 
businesses are started by former associates of Mr. Kauffman's company 
and its affiliates.
  Following Mr. Kauffman's success in business, he used his 
considerable resources to do good, establishing the Ewing Marion 
Kauffman Foundation in 1966. The foundation sought to address systemic 
issues within underserved communities around Kansas City--notably 
focused on improving the quality of education in the area and promoting 
and fostering entrepreneurship as a means of empowerment and 
opportunity for individuals.
  Mr. Kauffman's legacy addressing fundamental challenges in the local 
community through a research-based approach continues today through the 
innovative work of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The foundation 
continues to focus on advancing education and entrepreneurship 
opportunities through strategic partnerships and inclusive dialogue 
among all pertinent private and public parties. In June, the foundation 
announced its 100 Acts of Generosity campaign to encourage the public 
to participate in community service efforts to honor Mr. Kauffman's 
legacy, while awarding a $1 million grant to the Kansas City Royals' 
Urban Youth Academy to serve 800 to 1,000 young people with free 
baseball and softball clinics and instruction.
  Mr. Kauffman also brought Major League Baseball back to his hometown, 
founding the Kansas City Royals in 1968. Under Kauffman's leadership, 
the organization sold more than 2 million tickets per season during 11 
different seasons and won six division titles, two American League 
pennants, and the 1985 World Series Championship. Mr. Kauffman also 
developed innovative measures to ensure the Royals would remain in 
Kansas City long after his death in 1993.
  In reflection of Mr. Kauffman's philanthropic mission, I conclude my 
remarks with a statement by Mr. Kauffman himself: ``All of the money in 
the world cannot solve problems unless we work together. And, if we 
work together, there is no problem in the world that can stop us, as we 
seek to develop people to their highest and best potential.''

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