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John Morgridge

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John P. Morgridge
Born1933
NationalityUnited States
Alma materUniversity of Wisconsin (B.A.)
Stanford University (M.B.A.)
OccupationBusinessman
Known forCEO of Cisco
SpouseTashia Frankwurth
Children3 (one deceased)

John P. Morgridge (born 1933)[3] is an American businessman who was the chairman of the board of Cisco Systems.

Early life and education

Morgridge was born to L. D. Morgridge and Ruth Gordon Morgridge, who were both teachers and church members.[4][5] He grew up in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, where he attended Wauwatosa East High School. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1955. He worked part-time at jobs such as washing equipment in a sweet pea cannery, digging stone at the quarry in Lannon, washing walls in Milwaukee's Pabst Brewery, doing road construction on Highway 64, and working as a railroad brakeman.[6] He earned an MBA from Stanford University in 1957.[citation needed]

Career

After school, he worked for Stratus Computer and Honeywell Information Systems before serving as president and Chief Operating officer of GRiD Systems.[7] He joined Cisco in 1988, then a four-year-old company with 34 employees, as its second chief executive officer and chairman of the board.[6] He was replaced by John Chambers as CEO in 1995 and as Chairman in 2006.[7][8] At his retirement in 2006, Cisco had 50,000 employees in 77 countries.[9]

Philanthropy

In 2010, Morgridge and his wife donated $175 million to create the Fund for Wisconsin Scholars, an endowment which will provide grants to low-income students attending one of Wisconsin’s public colleges or universities.[10] Morgridge Family Foundation donated funds to Immanuel Lutheran School,[11] Mount Olive Lutheran Church,[12] and to several educational and volunteering organizations. Looking back on his life, says John Morgridge, in addition to parents, church and school, "it's the community that helps form our moral compass. It's those attitudes that I've remembered through my entire lifetime. We've been very blessed with what this country has given us. And we intend, before we die, to give it back." [13] Morgridge serves on several corporate and charity boards of directors, including the Nature Conservancy,[9] the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation,[7] and is a trustee of Stanford University where he teaches management at the Graduate School of Business.[7] Morgridge and his wife are among the group of American billionaires who have committed to give the majority of their wealth to the philanthropic causes and/or charities as part of The Giving Pledge.[14]

Personal life

Morgridge married his high school sweetheart, Tashia Frankfurth (now a special education teacher), great granddaughter of William Frankfurth, the co-founder of the German-English Academy (now known as the University School of Milwaukee).[15] They have an adult son and daughter, and six grandkids; a second son died of leukemia.[10]

Morgridge was featured in the documentary film Something Ventured which premiered in 2011.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ Forbes Billionaires: John Morgridge March 2013
  2. ^ Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Taking the fund-raising plunge" by Helen Pauly May 11, 2008
  3. ^ Dun & Bradstreet Reference Book of Corporate Managements. 2003 edition. Dun & Bradstreet, 2003.
  4. ^ http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/print-edition/2014/08/01/cover-story-philanthropy-is-all-in-the-family-for.html
  5. ^ http://www.capecodtimes.com/article/19971111/Obits/311119917
  6. ^ a b Milwaukee Magazine: "Where I’m From: Oprah, Frank Caliendo, Gene Wilder, Tony Romo. 30 celebrities remember growing up here" by Julie Sensat Waldren August 25, 2008.
  7. ^ a b c d Cisco website: John Morgridge biography retrieved September 10, 2013
  8. ^ Doerr, John (2009-04-30). "John Chambers". Time. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
  9. ^ a b Academy of Achievement: "John Morgridge" retrieved September 10, 2013
  10. ^ a b The Capital Times (Madison): "Couple donates hundreds of millions to state causes" by TODD FINKELMEYER December 1, 2010
  11. ^ http://school.immanuelloveland.org/news-and-events/news/ils-awarded-45k-morgridge-grant
  12. ^ http://mtoliveluth.org/downloads/governingboard/2012/taskgroupplanningdocs/MtOliveTechnologyPlan.pdf
  13. ^ http://www.jsonline.com/features/advice/29551524.html
  14. ^ Giving Pledge.org retrieved September 10, 2013
  15. ^ Madison Metropolitan School District: "Who are John and Tashia Morgridge?" retrieved September 23, 2012
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