Donald Perkins

Donald S. Perkins, retired CEO of Jewel Companies and Chicago civic leader dies at 88. Donald Sheldon Perkins, retired CEO and Chairman of the Board of Jewel Companies, the founding Chairman of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and an independent director of multiple public and private corporations and not-for-profit organizations, died at home on March 25, 2015 at the age of 88. Mr. Perkins was named President of Jewel in 1965 at the age of 38 and then CEO and Chairman of the Board in 1970. His leadership at Jewel was marked by rapid expansion and exploration of multiple retail formats, including the acquisition of Osco Drug, Star Markets in Boston, and Buttrey in Billings, MT, the development of discount department stores, hypermarkets, no frills supermarkets, convenience stores (White Hen Pantry), and successful partnerships with GB Enterprises in Belgium and Aurrera in Mexico. Under Perkins, the company pioneered the grocery-drug store combination, generic products, open-dating and aggressively sought other ways to serve its customers. He retired from Jewel in 1983. Mr. Perkins was known as a champion for strong corporate governance his many years of experience as an independent director on corporate boards, including Inland Steel, Kodak, Corning Glass, Cummins Engine, AT&T, Lucent Technologies, Time Warner, LaSalle Partners, Freeport McMoran, G.D. Searle, TBG (Thyssen Bournemisza), Firestone, Putnam Funds, Aon, Springs Industries, Illinova, and Kmart Corporation. That experience led him to the creation of an annual Governance Conference, cofounded with Northwestern University and Shields Meneley Partners. He was a life trustee of Northwestern University, and served as a trustee of the Ford Foundation, the Brookings Institution and the International Council of Morgan Bank, among many other not-for-profit endeavors. He was also an active member of The Business Council. As Mr. Perkins reached mandatory retirement age as a director of major public corporations, he found that his wisdom and experience were valued by smaller venture companies, often involved with technology, including Nanophase and Blue Ridge Partners. Perkins was instrumental in the founding of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago and served as its first chairman, spearheading its initial project, a landmark study released in 1984 called "Jobs for Metropolitan Chicago." Perkins was born in St. Louis, MO, and received his Bachelor's degree from Yale University and his Master's in Business Administration from Harvard Business School. He served in the Merchant Marine during World War II and in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. His survivors include his wife of 30 years, Jane Phillips Perkins; his brother Bob Perkins and sister Joan Gerrard; his children Betsy Perkins Hill, Susan Perkins (David MacKenzie), Frank (Mary) Phillips and Elizabeth (George) Phillips-Sorich and daughter in law, Pat Mayland Perkins; grandchildren Zachary (Mari) Hill, Andrew (Lauren) Hill, Shelley (Anthony) Getzendanner Loveridge, Christine Perkins, Jessa Getzendanner, Hal Phillips and Bennett Phillips-Sorich; and great granddaughter Charlotte Hill. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Phyllis Babb Perkins, his son, Jervis Babb Perkins and his grandson Jeremy Jefferis Hill. The family said that a memorial service will be held in May and requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Donald S. Perkins Scholarship Fund at Northwestern University.