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{{short description|American businessman}}
{{Recent death|date=May 2008}}
{{Lead too short|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox Person
{{Infobox person
| image = J. R. Simplot.jpeg
| image = J. R. Simplot.jpeg
| image_size = 150px
| name = J. R. "Jack" Simplot | caption =
| caption = | name = J. R. "Jack" Simplot
| birth_name = | birth_name = John Richard Simplot
| birth_date = {{birth date|1909|1|9}} | birth_date = {{birth date|1909|1|4}}
| birth_place = ], ], ] | birth_place = ], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2008|5|25|1909|1|4}} | death_date = {{death date and age|2008|5|25|1909|1|4}}
| death_place = ], ], ] | death_place = ], U.S.
| resting_place = | resting_place = Morris Hill Cemetery, Boise, Idaho
| resting_place_coordinates = | resting_place_coordinates =
| known_for = Founder of the ]
| residence = ], ], ]
| education = ] dropout<ref name="forbes">{{cite news |url= https://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/54/richlist07_John-Simplot-family_ZPFO.html |title= #89 John Simplot & family |access-date= 2008-05-30 | work=Forbes}}</ref>
| nationality = ]
| other_names = | employer =
| occupation =
| known_for = Founder and chairman emeritus of ], oldest member of the ].
| title =
| education = ] dropout<ref name="forbes">{{cite web |url= http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/54/richlist07_John-Simplot-family_ZPFO.html |title= #89 John Simplot & family |accessdate= 2008-05-30}}</ref>
| employer = | height =
| occupation = | term =
| title = | predecessor =
| salary = | successor =
| party =
| networth = {{profit}}]3.6 billion<ref name="forbes"/>
| height = | boards =
| weight = | spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{Marriage|Ruby Adeline Rosevear|1931|1960|end=divorced}}
| term =
* {{Marriage|Esther Becker|1972}}
| predecessor =
| successor =
| party =
| boards =
| religion = ]<ref name="atheist">{{cite web |url= http://www.celebatheists.com?title=Simplot%2C_J.R. |title= Simplot, J.R. - Celebrity Atheist List |accessdate= 2008-03-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jZ0sUT_Rb7pOw-m-3KK5UPA2ddkwD90T75NG0 |title= J.R. Simplot, agribusiness giant, dies in Idaho |accessdate= 2008-05-26}}</ref>
| spouse = Esther Simplot
| partner =
| children = Richard R. Simplot, born circa 1934/died June 24, 1993 <br/> Donald J. Simplot born circa 1936 <br/> Gay C. Simplot born circa 1945 <br/> Scott R. Simplot born circa 1947
| parents = Charles R. and Dorothy Simplot
| relatives =
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
}} }}
| partner =

| children = 4, including ]
'''John Richard "Jack or J.R." Simplot''' (], ] &ndash; ], ]) was the founder of the ], an agricultural supplier specializing in ] products. In 2007 he was estimated to be the 89th-richest person in ], at $3.6 billion. At the time of his death in May 2008, at age 99, he was the oldest ] on the ].<ref>{{cite journal
| relatives =
| title = #80 John Richard Simplot and family
| signature =
| journal = Forbes
| website =
| volume = 178
| footnotes =
| date = ]
}}
| url = http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/54/biz_06rich400_John-Richard-Simplot-family_ZPFO.html
'''John Richard Simplot''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|ɪ|m|p|l|ɒ|t}}; January 4, 1909 – May 25, 2008) was an American entrepreneur and businessman best known as the founder of the ], a ]–based agricultural supplier specializing in ] products.<ref name=trlhaas>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QXZfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fy8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=2199%2C7737 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |last=Trillhaase |first=Marty |title=Simplot |date=July 1, 1990 |page=1A}}</ref><ref name=jmsimapobt>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2NsyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RvAFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1028%2C3173862 |work=Moscow-Pullman Daily News |location=(Idaho-Washington) |agency=Associated Press |last=Miller |first=John |title=Potato mogul J.R. Simplot dead at 99 |date=May 26, 2008 |page=3A}}</ref> In 2007, he was estimated to be the 89th-richest person in the United States, at ]3.6 billion. At the time of his death at age 99 in May 2008, he was the oldest ] on the ].<ref>{{cite journal
| issn = 0015-6914
| title = #80 John Richard Simplot and family
| accessdate = 2007-06-30}}</ref>
| journal = Forbes
| volume = 178
| date = 2006-09-21
| url = https://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/54/biz_06rich400_John-Richard-Simplot-family_ZPFO.html
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070103113435/http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/54/biz_06rich400_John-Richard-Simplot-family_ZPFO.html
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = January 3, 2007
| issn = 0015-6914
| access-date = 2007-06-30}}</ref>


==Early life== ==Early life==
Born in ],<ref name=jmsimapobt/> he was the third of six children of Charles R. and Dorothy (Haxby) Simplot. His maternal grandmother was English, as were both parents of both his maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother. His paternal great-grandparents were both French.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}
Born in ], in 1909, he was the third of six children of Charles R. and Dorothy Simplot. A year later, the family relocated to south central ] to ] in the newly ] ]. J.R. quit school in the eighth grade, at age 14, and left home to strike out on his own in 1923. He then worked on a farm near ], getting into the ] and other vegetable processing business.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.rangemagazine.com/archives/stories/summer98/jr_simplot.htm |title= Mr. Spud |accessdate= 2008-05-30}}</ref>

A year later in 1910, the family relocated a thousand miles (1,600&nbsp;km) west to ] in the newly ] ] of south central ]; the ] on the ] was completed a few years earlier. After differences with his father, Simplot left school in the eighth grade at age 14 in 1923. He then worked on a farm near ]. He developed a low-cost method for feeding hogs when the market fell, feeding wild horse meat and potatoes to his hogs. When the market recovered he sold at a profit and got into the ] and vegetable processing business.<ref name=trlhaas/><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.rangemagazine.com/archives/stories/summer98/jr_simplot.htm |title= Mr. Spud |access-date= 2008-05-30}}</ref>


==J. R. Simplot Company== ==J. R. Simplot Company==
{{main article|Simplot}}
By ], the ] had become the largest shipper of fresh potatoes in the nation. By ], the ] had become the largest shipper of fresh potatoes in the nation.


In 1967, Simplot and ] founder ] agreed by handshake that the Simplot Company would provide frozen french fries to the restaurant chain. Previously, restaurants had cut potatoes at each location for fresh french fries, but the favored ] was not available for three months in the summer, leading to a quality control problem. Simplot was able to supply frozen russet potatoes all year long. By 1972, all fries were frozen.<ref>'': Behind the Arches'', pp. 327–332, Love, John F., rev. ed., 1995, New York: Bantam Books</ref> The frozen fry deal led to expansion of Simplot potato processing plants and construction in 1977 of a new plant at ]. By 2005, Simplot supplied more than half of all french fries for the ] chain. Simplot also produces ]s for agriculture.<ref>{{cite journal
In 1945, Simplot's Soilbuilder/Grower Solutions organization was formed, and Simplot established a canning and dehydrating quick-freeze plant in which employees tested frozen potato products. The Simplot Company is credited with pioneering the first commercial frozen ] in the late 1940s. In 1953, Simplot patented the frozen French-fried potato, an invention of his scientists that would later make him billions.
| last = Brandt
| first = Richard
| title = J.R. Simplot: Still Hustling, after all these years
| journal = Business Week
| issue = 3176
| pages = 60–65
| date = 1990-09-03
| issn = 0007-7135 }}</ref>


Simplot retired as president of his company in 1973, but remained as chairman until 1994. He held the title of chairman emeritus until his death in 2008. Simplot received an honorary degree from ] in ] in 2001,<ref> from ],</ref> honoring him for his many contributions to the agricultural industry of America, particularly the ].
In 1967, Simplot shook hands with ] founder ], and the two agreed that the Simplot Company would provide frozen French fries to the restaurant chain. Previously, McDonald's restaurants had cut potatoes at each location for fresh French fries, but the favored ] was not available for three months in the summer, leading to a quality control problem. Simplot was able to supply frozen Russet potatoes all year long. By 1972, all McDonald's fries were frozen.<ref>''McDonald's: Behind the Arches'', pp. 327-332, Love, John F., rev. ed., 1995, New York: Bantam Books</ref> The frozen fry deal led to expansion of Simplot potato processing plants and construction in 1977 of a new plant at ]. By 2005, Simplot supplied more than half of all french fries for the ] chain. Simplot also produces fertilizers for agriculture.<ref>{{cite journal
| last = Brandt
| first = Richard
| title = J.R. Simplot: Still Hustling, after all these years
| journal = Business Week
| issue = 3176
| pages = 60-65
| date = ]
| issn = 0007-7135 }}</ref>


Simplot was responsible for the ] of 1976, after making massive short plays he refused to honor those contracts. This resulted in millions in dollars of losses for the New York Merchant Exchange. A public outcry followed, and the newly created ] held hearings.<ref>, ], Harper Collins, 2011</ref>
Simplot retired as president of his company in 1973, but remained as chairman until 1994. He held the title of Chairman Emeritus until his death in 2008. In 2001, Simplot received an honorary degree from ]<ref> from ],</ref> honoring him for his many contributions to the agricultural industry of America and, particularly, the ].


Further enhancing his enormous wealth, J. R. Simplot Company provided startup capital in the early 1980s for the fledgling ], a ]-based manufacturer of ] chips. Additionally, he invested heavily in ]. Further enhancing his enormous wealth, the J.R. Simplot Company provided startup capital in the early 1980s for the fledgling ], a ]-based manufacturer of ] chips;<ref name=trlhaas/> in 1994, he owned a 20% stake in the company.<ref>{{cite news |title= The Micron Mystery : Sudden Departure of Three Execs Goes Unexplained |url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-09-21-fi-41148-story.html |newspaper= ] |date= September 21, 1994 |access-date= 2024-03-06}}</ref> Additionally, he invested heavily in ].


In 1961, Simplot financed the ] ] near ], two hours north of ]. The Simplot Company sold its 50% interest in Brundage in April 2006 to the longtime co-owner, the DeBoer family. In 1961, Simplot financed the ] ] near ], two hours north of Boise. The Simplot Company sold its 50% interest in Brundage in April 2006 to the longtime co-owner, the DeBoer family. In the early 1950s, Simplot was the benefactor to the fledgling ] ski area near Boise when it had financial difficulties; the base area lodge is named in his honor.


In 1995, the J.R. Simplot Company expanded into ], acquiring iconic food brands like Birds Eye, Leggo's, Chiko, and Edgell.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.simplot.com.au/about-simplot/introducing-simplot-australia/|title=Simplot Australia - Introducing Simplot Australia|website=Simplot.com.au|access-date=29 March 2019}}</ref>
Before his death, Jack Simplot and his wife Esther resided in the Grove Hotel building in downtown ], a few blocks from the company's headquarters. The couple donated their signature hilltop home, in Boise's north end, to the state of ] in 2005 for use as a governor's mansion. Now known as "]", the residence remains unoccupied.


Simplot's first marriage was to Ruby Rosevear (1911–2004) of ],<ref name=xwrsdobt>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Y8NeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uTEMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4474%2C2744494 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |agency=Associated Press |title=Simplot's ex-wife Ruby Shipp dies |date=April 23, 2004 |page=7C}}</ref> whom he had met on a ]; he proposed to her in his ] ] in 1931. After 29 years and four children, the marriage ended in divorce in 1960, when she suddenly left Simplot for another man. Years later, Simplot admitted that while he was growing his business empire in the 1950s, he had not spent enough time with his family.
Simplot's first marriage, to Ruby Rosevear of ], ended in divorce in 1960 after 29 years, when she suddenly left Simplot for another man.


He and his second wife, Esther Becker, a former opera singer, met in the mid 1960s in New York. He was on a business trip and she was working as a receptionist for the ]. They were married in 1972.<ref>{{cite web |title= Simplot: Farmboy who never went to high school turns potatoes into biggest fortune in Idaho |url= http://www.idahostatesman.com/simplot/story/391642.html |publisher= '']'' |date= ]] |accessdate= 2008-05-30}}</ref> He and his second wife, Esther Becker (born 1934), a former ] singer, met in the mid-1960s in ]. He was on a business trip and she was working as a receptionist for the ]; they were married in 1972.<ref>{{cite news |title= Simplot: Farmboy who never went to high school turns potatoes into biggest fortune in Idaho |url= http://www.idahostatesman.com/simplot/story/391642.html |newspaper= ] |date= May 25, 2008 |access-date= 2008-05-30}}</ref>

Before his death, Simplot and his wife Esther resided in the Grove Hotel building in downtown Boise, a few blocks from the company's headquarters. The couple donated their hilltop home, in Boise's north end, to the state of ] in late 2004 for use as a governor's mansion.<ref name=hndovhs>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yIJfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mDAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3548%2C2213697 |work=Lewiston Tribune |last=Oxley |first=Chuck |agency=Associated Press |title=Simplot hands over house on the hill |date=December 22, 2004 |page=2C}}</ref> (Known as "]," it was returned to the Simplot family in 2013, and demolished in January 2016.)<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.ktvb.com/story/news/local/2016/01/04/simplot-mansion-torn-down/78265350/ |title= Simplot Family Says Boise Mansion to Be Torn Down |publisher= ] |date= January 4, 2016 |access-date= January 4, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160107045939/http://www.ktvb.com/story/news/local/2016/01/04/simplot-mansion-torn-down/78265350/ |archive-date= 2016-01-07 |url-status= dead }}</ref>


==Accident== ==Accident==
On ], ], while attending the ] in ], ], with his wife and son, Simplot fell from a motorized scooter and suffered a ] in his head. He was taken to ] in ], where he spent his 98th birthday.<ref name="fiestafall">{{cite web |url= http://www.idahostatesman.com/239/story/66098.html |title= Idaho's richest citizen will celebrate his 98th birthday from a bed in Phoenix |accessdate= 2007-01-04}}</ref> Simplot returned to Idaho several days later for further rehabilitation.<ref name="back">{{cite web |url= http://www.idahostatesman.com/102/story/67148.html |title= J.R. Simplot's back in Boise |accessdate= 2007-01-23}}</ref> On January 1, 2007, while attending the ] in ], with his wife and son, Simplot fell from a motorized scooter and suffered a cranial ]. He was taken to ] in ], where he spent his 98th birthday.<ref name="fiestafall">{{cite web |url= http://www.idahostatesman.com/239/story/66098.html |archive-url= https://archive.today/20140830013949/http://www.idahostatesman.com/239/story/66098.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 2014-08-30 |title= Idaho's richest citizen will celebrate his 98th birthday from a bed in Phoenix |access-date= 2007-01-04}}</ref> Simplot returned to Idaho several days later for further rehabilitation.<ref name="back">{{cite web |url= http://www.idahostatesman.com/102/story/67148.html |archive-url= https://archive.today/20140830004952/http://www.idahostatesman.com/102/story/67148.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 2014-08-30 |title= J.R. Simplot's back in Boise |access-date= 2007-01-23}}</ref>


==Death== ==Death==
Simplot died suddenly at his home on ]], with his wife at his side, following a bout of ] from which he appeared to be recovering. His death occurred moments after he had invited a friend to his home to play cards and on the same day as the ], the ] and the ].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.idahostatesman.com/eyepiece/story/391275.html |title= J.R. Simplot dies at 99, with wife Esther at his side |publisher= '']'' |accessdate= 2008-05-25}}</ref> Simplot died suddenly at his home at age 99 on May 25, 2008,<ref name=jmsimapobt/> with his wife at his side, following a bout of ] from which he appeared to be recovering. His death occurred moments after he had invited a friend to his home to play cards.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.idahostatesman.com/eyepiece/story/391275.html |title= J.R. Simplot dies at 99, with wife Esther at his side |newspaper= ] |access-date= 2008-05-25}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>


Simplot was survived by his wife, two sons, Don and ], and his daughter, Gay, who was the first wife of politician ]. His eldest son, Richard, died in 1993 at age 59. He was interred at Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise.<ref name=mhwt>{{cite web |url=http://parks.cityofboise.org/parks-locations/cemeteries/morris-hill-walking-tour/#simplot |publisher=City of Boise |agency=Parks & Recreation |location=Idaho |title=Morris Hill Cemetery walking tour: J.R. Simplot |access-date=October 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428165953/http://parks.cityofboise.org/parks-locations/cemeteries/morris-hill-walking-tour/#simplot |archive-date=April 28, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
He was survived by his wife, two sons, Don and Scott, and his daughter, Gay. His eldest son, Richard (Dick), died in 1993.


In 1996, Simplot was inducted into the ] of the ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Hall of Great Westerners |url=https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/hall-of-great-westerners/ |website=National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum |access-date=November 22, 2019}}</ref>
Simplot was the former father-in-law of current ] ], a former executive with Simplot. Otter was married to Gay Simplot for 28 years, from 1964 to 1992.

==Awards and honors==
* Golden Plate Award of the ] (1967)<ref>{{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=]|url=https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/#business}}</ref>
* ] of the ] (1996)
* Honorary degree from ] in ] (2001)


==See also== ==See also==
* ] * ] (JUMP)


== References == ==References==
{{refs|2}} {{Reflist|2}}


==External links== ==External links==
* *
* from '']'' * from '']''
*, from Idaho Public TV * {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080305160755/http://idahoptv.org/productions/idahoportrait/about/simplot.html |date=2008-03-05 }}, from Idaho Public TV
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529001405/http://www.idahopotato.com/70_years/simplot.php |date=2008-05-29 }}, reprinted from '']'', 1999, from idahopotato.com
*, from '']'', ]]
*, reprinted from '']'', 1999, from idahopotato.com * , from the ''Idaho Statesman''
*, from the ''Idaho Statesman'' * , from '']'', May 28, 2008
*{{Find a Grave|27082536}}
*, from '']'', ]]
{{Micron Technology|state=autocollapse}}
{{Authority control}}


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Latest revision as of 15:34, 18 April 2024

American businessman
This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (February 2024)
J. R. "Jack" Simplot
BornJohn Richard Simplot
(1909-01-04)January 4, 1909
Dubuque, Iowa, U.S.
DiedMay 25, 2008(2008-05-25) (aged 99)
Boise, Idaho, U.S.
Resting placeMorris Hill Cemetery, Boise, Idaho
EducationEighth grade dropout
Known forFounder of the J. R. Simplot Company
Spouses
Ruby Adeline Rosevear ​ ​(m. 1931; div. 1960)​
Esther Becker ​(m. 1972)​
Children4, including Scott

John Richard Simplot (/ˈsɪmplɒt/; January 4, 1909 – May 25, 2008) was an American entrepreneur and businessman best known as the founder of the J. R. Simplot Company, a Boise, Idaho–based agricultural supplier specializing in potato products. In 2007, he was estimated to be the 89th-richest person in the United States, at $3.6 billion. At the time of his death at age 99 in May 2008, he was the oldest billionaire on the Forbes 400.

Early life

Born in Dubuque, Iowa, he was the third of six children of Charles R. and Dorothy (Haxby) Simplot. His maternal grandmother was English, as were both parents of both his maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother. His paternal great-grandparents were both French.

A year later in 1910, the family relocated a thousand miles (1,600 km) west to homestead in the newly irrigated Magic Valley of south central Idaho; the Minidoka Dam on the Snake River was completed a few years earlier. After differences with his father, Simplot left school in the eighth grade at age 14 in 1923. He then worked on a farm near Declo, Cassia County, Idaho. He developed a low-cost method for feeding hogs when the market fell, feeding wild horse meat and potatoes to his hogs. When the market recovered he sold at a profit and got into the potato and vegetable processing business.

J. R. Simplot Company

Main article: Simplot

By World War II, the J. R. Simplot Company had become the largest shipper of fresh potatoes in the nation.

In 1967, Simplot and McDonald's founder Ray Kroc agreed by handshake that the Simplot Company would provide frozen french fries to the restaurant chain. Previously, restaurants had cut potatoes at each location for fresh french fries, but the favored russet potato was not available for three months in the summer, leading to a quality control problem. Simplot was able to supply frozen russet potatoes all year long. By 1972, all fries were frozen. The frozen fry deal led to expansion of Simplot potato processing plants and construction in 1977 of a new plant at Hermiston, Oregon. By 2005, Simplot supplied more than half of all french fries for the fast food chain. Simplot also produces fertilizers for agriculture.

Simplot retired as president of his company in 1973, but remained as chairman until 1994. He held the title of chairman emeritus until his death in 2008. Simplot received an honorary degree from Utah State University in Logan in 2001, honoring him for his many contributions to the agricultural industry of America, particularly the Intermountain West.

Simplot was responsible for the Potato Bust of 1976, after making massive short plays he refused to honor those contracts. This resulted in millions in dollars of losses for the New York Merchant Exchange. A public outcry followed, and the newly created Commodity Futures Trading Commission held hearings.

Further enhancing his enormous wealth, the J.R. Simplot Company provided startup capital in the early 1980s for the fledgling Micron Technology, a Boise-based manufacturer of computer memory chips; in 1994, he owned a 20% stake in the company. Additionally, he invested heavily in Remington Oil.

In 1961, Simplot financed the Brundage Mountain ski area near McCall, two hours north of Boise. The Simplot Company sold its 50% interest in Brundage in April 2006 to the longtime co-owner, the DeBoer family. In the early 1950s, Simplot was the benefactor to the fledgling Bogus Basin ski area near Boise when it had financial difficulties; the base area lodge is named in his honor.

In 1995, the J.R. Simplot Company expanded into Australia, acquiring iconic food brands like Birds Eye, Leggo's, Chiko, and Edgell.

Simplot's first marriage was to Ruby Rosevear (1911–2004) of Glenns Ferry, whom he had met on a blind date; he proposed to her in his Model A Ford in 1931. After 29 years and four children, the marriage ended in divorce in 1960, when she suddenly left Simplot for another man. Years later, Simplot admitted that while he was growing his business empire in the 1950s, he had not spent enough time with his family.

He and his second wife, Esther Becker (born 1934), a former opera singer, met in the mid-1960s in New York. He was on a business trip and she was working as a receptionist for the Henry Phipps Foundation; they were married in 1972.

Before his death, Simplot and his wife Esther resided in the Grove Hotel building in downtown Boise, a few blocks from the company's headquarters. The couple donated their hilltop home, in Boise's north end, to the state of Idaho in late 2004 for use as a governor's mansion. (Known as "The Idaho House," it was returned to the Simplot family in 2013, and demolished in January 2016.)

Accident

On January 1, 2007, while attending the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, with his wife and son, Simplot fell from a motorized scooter and suffered a cranial hematoma. He was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, where he spent his 98th birthday. Simplot returned to Idaho several days later for further rehabilitation.

Death

Simplot died suddenly at his home at age 99 on May 25, 2008, with his wife at his side, following a bout of pneumonia from which he appeared to be recovering. His death occurred moments after he had invited a friend to his home to play cards.

Simplot was survived by his wife, two sons, Don and Scott, and his daughter, Gay, who was the first wife of politician Butch Otter. His eldest son, Richard, died in 1993 at age 59. He was interred at Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise.

In 1996, Simplot was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Awards and honors

See also

References

  1. "#89 John Simplot & family". Forbes. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  2. ^ Trillhaase, Marty (July 1, 1990). "Simplot". Lewiston Morning Tribune. p. 1A.
  3. ^ Miller, John (May 26, 2008). "Potato mogul J.R. Simplot dead at 99". Moscow-Pullman Daily News. (Idaho-Washington). Associated Press. p. 3A.
  4. "#80 John Richard Simplot and family". Forbes. 178. 2006-09-21. ISSN 0015-6914. Archived from the original on January 3, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-30.
  5. "Mr. Spud". Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  6. : Behind the Arches, pp. 327–332, Love, John F., rev. ed., 1995, New York: Bantam Books
  7. Brandt, Richard (1990-09-03). "J.R. Simplot: Still Hustling, after all these years". Business Week (3176): 60–65. ISSN 0007-7135.
  8. Honorary Degrees from Utah State University,
  9. The Asylum, Leah McGrath Goodman, Harper Collins, 2011
  10. "The Micron Mystery : Sudden Departure of Three Execs Goes Unexplained". Los Angeles Times. September 21, 1994. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  11. "Simplot Australia - Introducing Simplot Australia". Simplot.com.au. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  12. "Simplot's ex-wife Ruby Shipp dies". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. April 23, 2004. p. 7C.
  13. "Simplot: Farmboy who never went to high school turns potatoes into biggest fortune in Idaho". Idaho Statesman. May 25, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  14. Oxley, Chuck (December 22, 2004). "Simplot hands over house on the hill". Lewiston Tribune. Associated Press. p. 2C.
  15. "Simplot Family Says Boise Mansion to Be Torn Down". KTVB. January 4, 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-01-07. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  16. "Idaho's richest citizen will celebrate his 98th birthday from a bed in Phoenix". Archived from the original on 2014-08-30. Retrieved 2007-01-04.
  17. "J.R. Simplot's back in Boise". Archived from the original on 2014-08-30. Retrieved 2007-01-23.
  18. "J.R. Simplot dies at 99, with wife Esther at his side". Idaho Statesman. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
  19. "Morris Hill Cemetery walking tour: J.R. Simplot". Idaho: City of Boise. Parks & Recreation. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
  20. "Hall of Great Westerners". National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  21. "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.

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