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Leadership Spotlight: Jay H. Baker, W'56
When Jay H. Baker,
W'56, arrived at
Wharton, becoming a
retail titan and one of
the School's biggest
benefactors was perhaps
beyond imagination.
Raised in New York, he helped out
in his mother's Queens millinery
store before college. "My parents
worked very hard to put me
through," he says.
Today, Dr. Baker's resume
includes 13 years as president
and director of Kohl's Department
Stores (1986-1999), continuing
membership on Kohl's Board of
Directors, and membership on
Wharton's Board of Overseers.
When he and his partners bought
Kohl's, the Wisconsin-based
department store had 39 stores
and annual sales of $288 million.
Today, Kohl's has 450 stores and
annual sales of $9 billion. He
unabashedly credits Wharton for
his success, saying: "Going to
Wharton means having the opportunity to learn from the best
professors in America and making
friendships you never forget. I
feel very lucky."
To show his gratitude, Baker
and his wife, Patty, have donated
$21 million to the School and
the University of Pennsylvania to
date, including $10 million for the
Jay H. Baker Retailing Initiative,
which will expand curriculum and
research in retailing and promote
faculty and student interaction with
industry experts. In 1999, they
gave $11 million to support the construction of an undergraduate center in Wharton's new facility, Jon M.
Huntsman Hall. The Patty and Jay
H. Baker Forum is the largest single
space in the facility and can accommodate an entire undergraduate
class of nearly 500 students. That
$11-million gift also endowed
The Baker Leadership Scholars
Program, providing financial support to undergraduates throughout
the University of Pennsylvania.
Baker's voice lifts when he says
that the most rewarding part has
been giving scholarships.
"Patty and I wanted to do
something for Penn and were both
thrilled to be able to do this," he
says, speaking from his Florida
home. "It's all about giving back."
And Baker gives more than
money. As a member of the School's
Board of Overseers, he also offers
pragmatic advice to students facing
the nation's tough economic times.
"If you have confidence in your
ability, work hard, and believe in
yourself, good things will come
your way," he says. "And when
you come out of a good school
like Penn, doors will open for you.
Just remember, there are very few
geniuses in business. A better education, working a little harder, and
having a great work ethic will get
you to the finish line ahead of most
people."
Then he laughs, and with Patty
in the background, reveals his real
secret: Having a great life partner
helps "more than anything else!"
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