David Glass (businessman)

For other people named David Glass, see David Glass (disambiguation).

David D. Glass (b. September 1935) is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and is currently the Owner and Chief Executive Officer of the Kansas City Royals on April 18, 2000 after serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Royals since September 23, 1993. The Board, composed of Glass and other individuals appointed by Glass, approved his bid of $96 million for the Royals despite the fact a competing bid by Miles Prentice was 25% higher, at $120 million. During Glass' ownership (2000-2007) the Royals have averaged 96 losses, with only one winning season and four seasons with 100 or more losses, the worst sustained performance in the franchise's 39 year history.

Career with Wal-Mart

Glass joined the company in 1976. In his position as Executive Vice President of Finance for Wal-Mart Stores, he administered the overall financial and accounting responsibilities of the company prior to his appointment as Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer. He served in that role until 1984 when he was named President and Wal-Mart’s Chief Operating Officer. In 1988 he was named Wal-Mart’s Chief Executive Officer, stepping down from the position in January 2000. Glass was active in the company’s growth from 123 stores in 1976 to its more than 4,000 nationally and internationally in 2005.

Glass was named Retailer of the Year by members of the retail industry in 1986 and 1991 and was inducted into the Retail Hall of Fame in August, 2000. Glass has been a member of the Board of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. since 1977.

In 1992, NBC news series Dateline interviewed Glass during an investigation into Wal-Mart's "Made in America" and "Bring It Home to the USA" marketing campaigns. The show aired footage of children working in factories in Bangladesh making clothes destined for Wal-Mart, as well as footage of Wal-Mart stores with "Made in America" signs hung over imported goods. When asked about children in Asia working in sweatshop conditions, Glass' reply was "You and I might, perhaps, define children differently," and then said that since Asians are quite short, one can't always tell how old they were. Glass was shown photographs of one factory that burned down with the children still locked inside. He responded, "Yeah...there are tragic things that happen all over the world." Glass stormed out of the interview, which was terminated immediately by Wal-Mart. On the CNBC Special "The Age of Wal-Mart" the quote "I see Wal-Mart as a big speeding truck just waiting to hit something" was attributed to him.

Career with Kansas City Royals

During the Major League Baseball strike of 1994-1995, Glass, who was not yet owner of the Royals but chairman of the board administering the team after Ewing Kauffman's death, was one of the most forceful voices on the ownership side to oppose any settlement with the players' union, and supported the use of strike breaking "replacement" players, despite a court ruling that Major League owners were in violation of Federal labor laws.

Glass created a controversy on 9 June 2006 by revoking the press credentials of two reporters who had earlier asked pointed questions to Royals management. The harsh move to avoid criticism infuriated many within the press and led to a backlash of articles that extended far beyond the Kansas City sports community

Born David Dayne Glass on a farm in Oregon County, Missouri, the son of Marvin Glass and Myrtle Van Winkle, he grew up in Mountain View, Missouri and graduated from Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. Glass and his wife, Ruth, are the parents of three children, Dan, Don and Dayna, all of whom serve on the Royals' Board of Directors. MSU's Glass Hall, which houses business and management classes, was named after him.

External links

• Kansas City Royals' front office
• company bio at "walmartfacts.com"
• PBS Frontline story documenting NBC Dateline story
• Time Magazine archived report on Dateline story