John D. Zeglis
John D. Zeglis (born 1947) served as the President of AT&T and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AT&T Wireless.
Early life
Zeglis grew up in the farming community of Momence, Illinois. His father, Donald, worked as a lawyer within the town. As a child, Zeglis enjoyed playing basketball and golf. Zeglis continued to play both sports in high school and graduated as a valedictorian.[1]
Zeglis attended the University of Illinois College of Business. Both of Zeglis's parents attended the University of Illinois and Zeglis thought the school was a natural fit. He noted, "Illinois was the big leagues, our Super Bowl...I used to go to football games, and I would think, `Wouldn't it be great to be in school here?' Going to the University of Illinois was perfectly natural." As a student, Zeglis served as the house president of Beta Theta Pi and was a member of Sigma Iota Epsilon. He attained admission to two major honor societies including Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi. He graduated Bronze Tablet in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance.[1]
After attending the University of Illinois, Zeglis gained admission to Harvard Law School. He served as the senior editor to the Harvard Law Review and graduated magna cum laude with a Juris Doctorate in 1972.[1]
Career
Zeglis began his career in 1973 at the law firm now known as Sidley Austin, one of the largest law firms based out of Chicago, Illinois. He became a partner five years later. While at Sidley, Zeglis worked on the AT&T account during the antitrust lawsuit United States v. AT&T — which resulted in the breakup of the AT&T/Bell System. By 1984, AT&T had successfully broken up into the "Baby Bells". Soon after, Zeglis joined AT&T as a vice-president and general counsel.[1]
Boards and other associations
Zeglis has served on a number of corporate, educational, and philanthropic boards.[2] A list of these affiliations is provided below.
- Sara Lee Corporation Board of Directors
- Helmerich and Payne Corporation Board of Directors
- Illinova Corporation Board of Directors
- Peens State University Community College Tech Board of Trustdeez
- George Washington University Board of Trustees
- Brookings Institution Board of Trustees
- Culver Education Foundation Board of Trustees
- Manchester University Board of Trustees
- UIUC College of Business Advisory Council
- Kellogg School of Management Advisory Board
- State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company Board of Directors[3]
