[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13336]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      IN RECOGNITION OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ENTREPRENEUR AND 
                HUMANITARIAN, MR. EWING MARION KAUFFMAN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 21, 2016

  Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor a 
community icon. On this, the 100th anniversary of one of the most 
influential business leaders Kansas City ever produced, it is my 
distinct honor to reflect on and remember my friend, universally known 
as Mr. K, for being the man, the entrepreneur and visionary citizen 
that he embodied.
  One century ago today, Mr. Ewing Marion Kauffman was born in Garden 
City, Missouri. As a young boy, his family moved 45 minutes to Kansas 
City, where Mr. K would call home for the remainder of his life. Mr. K 
was a member of the Greatest Generation and served in the United States 
Navy during World War II. After returning home, he began working for a 
pharmaceutical company. However, the American Dream and an 
entrepreneurial spirit led him to start his own company in his 
basement, which he called Marion Labs.
  That company, which began with only $1,000 in net profits in the 
first year, grew over the next four decades into a $1 billion company, 
employing nearly 3,400 employees, before being bought by Merrell Dow in 
1989. As a result of his business acumen, coupled with honesty and 
integrity in all his transactions, Mr. K was able to forge a business 
model that not only fueled Marion Labs to great success, but has since 
been replicated many times by local high-growth companies. Attesting to 
his entrepreneurial and innovative spirit, a recent study by the 
University of Bern in Switzerland that traced the ``genealogy'' of 
Kansas City's technology companies, showed more than 20 existing local 
companies with direct ties to Marion Labs.
  Marion Labs didn't just inspire creation of new companies, but many 
of his former employees patterned their workplace culture on Mr. K's 
model, built on a sense of trust and belonging that positively 
influenced performance. Mr. K lived by the philosophies of treat others 
like you want to be treated; share life's rewards with those who make 
them possible; and give back to society. When the company was sold, 
more than 300 employees became millionaires. On a personal level, Mr. K 
regularly spoke to employees by addressing them by name, introducing 
them to others and personally hand writing thank you notes to 
employees.
  During my time as a City Councilman and Mayor of Kansas City, I had 
the pleasure of getting to know Mr. K and his family. Many of my 
constituents think of Kauffman Stadium and the Kansas City Royals when 
you mention Mr. K. He brought the Royals to town in 1968 and his legacy 
of philanthropy and civic engagement can still be felt today. The 
Kauffman Foundation is perhaps the most enduring legacy, following the 
same vision that led Marion Labs to become what is known as a ``Pillar 
Company'' in the Kansas City community, by not only inspiring new 
entrepreneurial ventures, but also by training and investing in new 
businesses. Before his passing in 1993, Mr. Kauffman created a vibrant 
and sustainable business future for the Kansas City region.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today, on what would have 
been his 100th Birthday, to pause for a moment to honor one of our 
country's greatest entrepreneurs, most generous philanthropists, and an 
innovative and compassionate leader in Mr. Ewing Marion Kauffman. 
Missouri's Fifth District, our region, and country are better off today 
because of the life he led.

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