Curt Carlson

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For the CEO of SRI International, see Curtis Carlson.

Curtis Leroy "Curt" Carlson (July 9, 1914 – February 19, 1999) was an American businessman and founder of Carlson and Radisson Hotel Group.[1]

Early life and education[]

Carlson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Charles and Leatha Carlson. Charles Carlson was a Swedish-American immigrant who arrived as a child in Minnesota; Leatha Carlson was born in Downing, Wisconsin of a Danish father and Swedish mother. Curt began a career with Procter and Gamble after earning a BA in Economics in 1937 from the University of Minnesota where he served as President, and Recruitment Chair for Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity- MN Alpha chapter.[2][3]

Career[]

Carlson began working for Procter & Gamble and then founded the in 1938.[4] Carlson used "Gold Bond Stamps", a consumer loyalty program based on trading stamps, to provide consumer incentive for grocery stores. Carlson was the first entrepreneur to develop a loyalty program for the grocery chain through the issuance of trading stamps. What began as a simple loyalty program for grocers in the Midwest grew into one of the largest service providers of frequent shopper / buyer programs across a variety of retail and hospitality sectors.[5][6]

Carlson expanded his offerings by purchasing the downtown Minneapolis Radisson Hotel in 1960 and building it into a national chain. He also acquired TGI Fridays, Carlson Leisure Group and hundreds of other hospitality businesses.[7]

The Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota is named for him, in recognition of his $25 million gift, the largest single donation to a public university at that time.[8] Curt Carlson created an estate in Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin which was later converted to a business resort for corporations.[9]

Awards[]

Selected works[]

  • Good as Gold : the Story of the Carlson Companies (Carlson Companies, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, 1994)

References[]

  1. ^ Former Owner /CEO of Radisson Hotels, Carlson Travel (Murat Shrine.org [1]
  2. ^ Carlson, Curtis L. Minnesota entrepreneur.Founder of Carlson Companies (New York Times. February 23, 1999) [2]
  3. ^ [3]
  4. ^ "Curt L. Carlson, President and Board Chairman, Carlson Companies". Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  5. ^ Curtis Leroy Carlson (The University of Houston, Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management)"Archived copy". Archived from the original on June 14, 2010. Retrieved September 4, 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ Business leader Curt Carlson(Star Tribune. March 26, 1999) Archived June 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Gold Bond Stamp Company / Carlson Companies 1938 – 1998 (Harvard Business School) [4]
  8. ^ "Driven: The Campaign for the Carlson School". Carlson School of Management. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  9. ^ Obituary of Curtis L. Carlson, Founder and Chairman (Hotel Online data base of News and Trends) [5]
  10. ^ "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement". www.achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement.
  11. ^ "SAHF Inductees". hostfest.com. Norsk Høstfest. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  12. ^ "Curtis L. Carlson DeMolay International Hall of Fame". DeMolay International.

External links[]

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