Elton Bryson Stephens Sr.
| Elton Bryson Stephens Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 4, 1911 Clio, Alabama, US |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Known for | Founder of EBSCO Industries |
| Net worth | US$4 billion (Stephens family, 2014)[1][2] |
| Spouse(s) | Alys Robinson |
| Children | 4, including James T. Stephens |
Elton Bryson Stephens Sr. (1911–2005) was an American businessman from Alabama, who founded EBSCO Industries.
Early life
Stephens was born on August 4, 1911, in Clio, Alabama.[3][4] Stephens graduated from Birmingham-Southern College in 1932.[5]
Career
Stephens founded Military Service Co. in 1944, with US$5,000.[4][6][7] The company sold magazine subscriptions to the United States Army.[6] It later became known as EBSCO Industries, a diversified company in "information services, publishing and digital media, outdoor products, real estate, manufacturing and general services."[4]
Philanthropy
Stephens established the Metropolitan Arts Council of Birmingham in 1986.[4] He donated $15 million to the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, where he was chairman of its board of trustees, and where the Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center was named after his late wife.[4] Additionally, he donated $1 million to the United Way of Central Alabama in 1997, joining their Million Dollar Roundtable.[4] For charitable contributions to the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Stephens Family Gallery is named in his family's honor.[4] The Red Mountain Expressway was renamed the Elton B. Stephens Expressway by the City of Birmingham on September 11, 1975.[4]
With his son James, Stephens donated $2.5 million to the University of Alabama at Birmingham.[4] They also paid $15 million for the construction of the Elton B. Stephens Science Center on the campus of Birmingham–Southern College.[4][8]
Personal life
Stephens was married to Alys Robinson.[7] They met as students at Birmingham-Southern College and graduated together in 1932.[9] They had two sons, Elton B. Stephens Jr. and James T. Stephens, and two daughters, Jane S. Comer and Dell S. Brooke.[7] His wife died in 1996.[7]
Death and legacy
Stephens died on February 5, 2005.[3] His son James serves as the chairman of EBSCO Industries.[7]
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Jim Stephens, In Memoriam: Elton Bryson Stephens, 1911-2005, Serial Reviews, Volume 31, Issue 2, 2005, pp. 80-81
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 Michael Tomberlin, Stephens family may be better known in Birmingham for generosity than $4 billion wealth, The Birmingham News, July 10, 2014
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 America's Richest Families: Stephens family, Forbes
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Connor Sheets, Who are the richest Alabamians now that billionaire Marguerite Harbert has passed?, The Birmingham News, March 23, 2015
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Infobox person using certain parameters when dead
- Articles with hCards
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- 1911 births
- 2005 deaths
- People from Mountain Brook, Alabama
- People from Clio, Alabama
- American company founders
- Businesspeople from Birmingham, Alabama
- Philanthropists from Alabama
- Stephens family
- American billionaires
- 20th-century American philanthropists
- 20th-century American businesspeople
