John W. Tyson, an American businessman who lived from July 26, 1905, to January 15, 1967, founded the international company Tyson Foods and served as its CEO from 1935 until his passing in 1967.

Son of Isaac F. Tyson and Anna, Tyson was born in Mound City, Missouri. John, his wife Helen, and their young son Don relocated to Springdale, Arkansas, in 1931, where they worked as hay, fruit, and poultry haulers for regional farmers.

When Tyson learned that hens were fetching higher prices in the northern states than in his native Arkansas, he decided to pursue a career in the poultry industry.

Tyson and his son debated taking Swanson’s buy-out offer, but ultimately chose to press on. By the end of the decade, they had constructed the company’s first processing plant in Springdale at a cost of $90,000, $15,000 more than anticipated.

Through 1961, Tyson and his son worked to boost sales. In 1961, they started selling commercial eggs, and in 1963, they went public under the new name Tyson’s Foods.

John W. Tyson: Who was Tyson Foods founder?

John W. Tyson, an American businessman founded the international company Tyson Foods and served as its CEO from 1935 until his passing in 1967.