From poverty to philanthropy: Dunlaps discuss journey that led them to FSU
Neither Al Dunlap nor his wife, Judy, attended Florida State University. Until 15 years ago, they didn’t even know where the school was located.
But on Friday evening, the Dunlaps were formally honored for their third major investment in the university, the Albert J. & Judith A. Dunlap Champions Club. Their $5 million gift -- on top of previous gifts of $10 million for FSU’s Student Success Center and $5 million toward the Indoor Practice Facility -- was announced last November. But the official dedication ceremony was held on Friday after being rescheduled due to Hurricane Irma.
“I was a poor inner-city kid, and my mom told me that I would have to use athletics to go to college” Al Dunlap said, explaining that he was the first member of his family to graduate from high school. “If it hadn’t been for the athletic field, I never would have gone to college. I have great respect for athletics. It’s so important for what it can do for these kids.”
Dunlap, who was a high school track and football standout back home in New Jersey, indeed parlayed those skills into an opportunity to attend West Point, the United States Military Academy. After graduating and finishing his military service, Dunlap embarked upon a business career that would span four decades and lead him to tremendous wealth but also widespread media criticism for his infamous business practices.
Labeled “Chainsaw Al” for his harsh cost-cutting measures at numerous corporations, Dunlap is not the least bit embarrassed by that reputation. In a sit-down interview with Warchant, Dunlap said he is proud of the businesses he saved through “corporate restructuring,” even if it meant many workers lost jobs in the process.
“If a company was in trouble, I went in,” Dunlap said. “You have to understand that when you go into restructuring, you’re going to face enormous criticism. But that’s the price of leadership.”
It was actually during his first foray into that line of work that Dunlap met his wife of nearly 50 years, Judy.
The year was 1967, and the Kimberly Clark company hired a 29-year-old Al as a consultant for its struggling paper mill in Judy's hometown of Eau Claire, Wisc. The couple soon would start dating and eventually discussed marriage. But even back then, after Al initiated cutbacks at the Kimberly Clark plant, Judy had to come to terms with his unpopular business practices.
“People would say, ‘How could you marry him?’” Judy recalled. “One night I was so upset about it and started crying, and he sat me down and explained his viewpoint. He said, ‘I didn’t come here to win a popularity contest. I came here to save a company. And if I have to get rid of 20 percent of the people so that 80 percent can have job security, that’s what I’m going to do.’
“I’ve lived through almost 50 years with this man, and the press crucified him for doing the right things.”
Though reviled by many, Al Dunlap is revered by many others in the business community. Not long after he retired, he started speaking at colleges around the country. It was during one of those appearances that Melvin Stith, then-dean of FSU’s College of Business, suggested that he come talk to students at Florida State University.
“I said, ‘Where’s that?’” Al said with a laugh. “But when I came, I was so impressed with the faculty, the students, Bobby Bowden -- all of these people -- that we began to have a relationship and that relationship led to tremendous respect.”
The Dunlaps’ first contribution to the university, in 2008, went to help build the Student Success Center, which houses the school’s Career Center and the Center for Leadership and Social Change. They later provided the lead gift for what is now named the Albert J. Dunlap Athletic Training Facility.
The couple said they find as much joy visiting with students and faculty members at the Success Center as they do visiting Doak Campbell Stadium for home football games.
“Judy comes from a similar background as I do. We were both very, very poor,” Al said. “And we worked hard to achieve these things, and we wanted to give back. But we wanted to give back to things that matter to us.”
Said Judy: “We used to meet with our financial people every six months and we would discuss where we wanted our money to go after we die. And one day I said, ‘Why don’t we start doing things now while we can enjoy the fruits of all of this?’ And that’s how we got started. We sat down and discussed what was important to us, and it was education, sports, medicine and animals.”
The Dunlaps have made substantial contributions to all of those causes.
They have donated more than $5 million to establish the Albert J. and Judith A. Dunlap Cancer Center at the Mayo Clinic in Eau Claire, Wisc. They have a 100-acre farm in Ocala, Fla., that is home to dozens of rescue animals. And they host a Christmas dinner for 100 underprivileged children in Marion County, Fla., every year.
Then there’s Florida State University.
“They’re incredible friends to the university,” FSU President John Thrasher said. “They love FSU. They love the students here. We’re just real proud to have them as friends. And obviously they’ve done a lot to help Florida State.”
While he has no regrets about his controversial business dealings, which he chronicles in his book, “Mean Business,” Al said he takes as much satisfaction from the couple’s philanthropic efforts as he did closing a big deal.
“Sometimes, it feels like we’re watching a movie,” he said. “Inside, I’m the same poor kid from Hoboken, N.J.”
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