John W. Tyson

John W. Tyson was President and founder of Tyson Feed and Hatchery, the company that was to become Tyson Foods, the nation’s largest producer of meat products. Any industry that has grown as rapidly as the broiler business was certain to produce its Horatio Alger stories, but none is more interesting or inspiring than that of Mr. Tyson. He was born at Mound City. Missouri, his family moving to Kansas City when he was four years old. Like many enterprising boys who later become stalwarts in the business world, he started in business as a youth but young John Tyson didn’t sell newspapers—he started peddling produce: dressed chickens, eggs, butter and other fresh farm products. In the depths of the depression John was still selling produce but was specializing in fruits and vegetables. He came to Northwest Arkansas in 1932 in an old car pulling a trailer to buy a load of apples. As he later recalled, he had eleven cents in his pocket when he arrived in Springdale. A trip to Chicago in an old truck loaded with chickens netted him $235.00 with which he purchased more chickens—a dynasty was born from a very small seed. Soon Mr. Tyson was adding better trucks, a hatchery and his own farm to his holdings. Hard work and good business judgement paid dividends and by 1950 Tyson growers were producing 500,000 broilers annually. By 1957 Tyson Feed and Hatchery produced ten million fryers. Mr. Tyson served as the Director of the National Broiler Council; he was Chairman of the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and appointed twice to the Arkansas Racing Commission. He contributed to many civic causes, one example being a donation of 10 acres of land to the Springdale School District. Mr. Tyson was a Rotarian, a Mason and a Shriner; he was a member of the First Methodist Church of Springdale.