Biography
Richard Knowlton is the President and treasurer of Knowlton Foundation. Previously, he was Chairman of the Board of the Hormel Foundation. From 1981 to 1995 he held the position of CEO and Chairman of the Board of the Hormel Food Corporation. Formerly Richard was Director, ING America Insurance Holdings Inc., one of the world’s largest financial services firms.
Richard gradated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1954 with a BA in Geography and Economics. Mr. Knowlton became a member of the University of Colorado hall of Fame in 1989. In 1995 the University of Colorado at Boulder school of business honored him with the Distinguished Business Service Award.
Richard is President and CEO, Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, an organization dedicated to honoring the accomplishments and achievements of outstanding individuals who have succeeded in the face of adversity.
In his book, Points of Difference: Transforming Hormel (Morgan-James ’09) Richard L. Knowlton, former CEO and Chairman of Hormel, documents the revolution in the food industry and his company’s role in that revolution. His book is a testament to the performance of his company over the past quarter century which he argues is unmatched. A point of difference is a distinctive attribute that delivers a competitive advantage that is not available with other competitors. I would say that Dick has been Hormel’s “point of difference” and that his energy, skill, perseverance and character have contributed to the company’s continued success. This and many other accomplishments and contributions are why I am nominating Dick for the Norlin award.
Dick was was a member of the Hormel management team between 1956 and 1995. Hormel Foods Corporation is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer-branded meats and food products. He started as a merchandising manager and was elected president and chief operating officer in 1979. He became the chief executive officer and chairman of the board in 1981 and retired in 1995. Dick is currently Chairman of The Hormel Foundation. A long-time director of the Horatio Alger Association, he has also served as that organization’s president and chairman. He is a Board member of the University of Colorado Leeds Business School and on the Eisenhower Medical Center Board. Dick has also served as a director of the Mayo Clinic, U.S. Bank, ING America Insurance Holdings, Inc., Supervalu Inc., and Reliastar.
He was CEO of Hormel during its dramatic transition from being a traditional meat processor to becoming a value-added, consumer-branded food company. Industry and civic recognition of Dick’s many contributions are numerous. He is the only food industry CEO to receive all the highest awards in the retail, food distribution and meat industry. The food industry’s Knowlton Innovation Award was created in his honor. Dick and his wife Nancy are recipients of the Norman Vincent and Ruth Stafford Peale Humanitarian Award.
Dick met his wife Nancy (Van Derbur) on the Boulder campus and theirs is a classic love story that continues to this day; they celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary in 2009. While in Austin, the couple was known for their genuine care for the company employees and for the communities in which Hormel is located. Dick and Nancy’s work through the Hormel Foundation is described as inspirational. They have provided transformational investments in medical research through the Mayo Clinic where Dick , as mentioned above, was on the board of trustees for many years.
In addition, Dick and his wife Nancy provide ongoing philanthropic support to a variety of programs on and off campus including support for the Leeds School’s Frascona Teaching Award, and the renovation and addition to the Koelbel building. Dick spearheaded the successful fundraising effort to build a new and improved athletic facility and was instrumental in it being named after his good friend and former coach Dal Ward. They also offer support to Colorado Law, Arts and Sciences and the new football practice field.
