Elton Bryson Stephens Sr.
Elton Bryson Stephens Sr. | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | February 5, 2005 | (aged 93)
Occupation | Business executive |
Known for | Founder of EBSCO Industries |
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[]
- ^ "Which Birmingham family did Forbes name one of America's richest?". Birmingham Business Journal. Retrieved 2019-05-07.
- ^ "Who are the richest Alabamians now that billionaire Marguerite Harbert has passed?". al.com. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ a b Jim Stephens, In Memoriam: Elton Bryson Stephens, 1911-2005, Serial Reviews, Volume 31, Issue 2, 2005, pp. 80-81
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Michael Tomberlin, Stephens family may be better known in Birmingham for generosity than $4 billion wealth, The Birmingham News, July 10, 2014
- ^ "EBSCO: Building a Family Conglomerate on Values and Capital | The Family Business Consulting Group". www.thefbcg.com. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
- ^ a b America's Richest Families: Stephens family, Forbes
- ^ a b c d e Connor Sheets, Who are the richest Alabamians now that billionaire Marguerite Harbert has passed?, The Birmingham News, March 23, 2015
- ^ "Birmingham-Southern College: Elton B. Stephens Science Center". bsc.edu. Archived from the original on 30 January 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ "Heart to Heart: Alumni Love Stories". www.bsc.edu. Retrieved 2019-06-19.
- 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