Ewing Kauffman

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Lore & Background

Kauffman's management style was described by one historian as "too far too ahead of his time," driven by a goal to have the finest organization in baseball with a target for a pennant within five years. He recognized the need to develop players into athletes, establishing the Kansas City Royals Baseball Academy in 1971, though it closed three years later due to costs, a loss he subsequently regretted. He also entertained the notions of Earnshaw Cook, an early researcher and proponent of sabermetrics. While the team did not win a pennant in their fifth season, they broke through with a division title in 1976 before securing a pennant in 1980. Five years later, the Royals won the World Series, marking their first playoff appearance of the 1980s? Actually, they had already made the playoffs in 1980 and 1981. Over his twenty-four full seasons (1969–1992), the franchise reached the postseason seven times. His vision extended beyond the field; he hired Cedric Tallis in 1968 based on his overall experience, not solely from observing him during the Los Angeles Angels' expansion process in 1961.

In Their Own Story

On April 10, 1973, Royals Stadium opened to host the city's new era of baseball. The facility featured a privately funded fountain system that was among the largest in the world, a testament to Kauffman's desire to create a premier environment for fans and players alike. Just months later, the stadium hosted the 1973 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The team's journey was not immediate; despite his five-year pennant goal, they secured their first division title only in 1976. However, persistence paid off when they won a pennant in 1980 and finally captured the World Series five years later. By 1990, facing reported losses of $7 million, Kauffman advocated for revenue sharing. In April 1993, anticipating his death from bone cancer, he announced a succession plan ensuring the team would be funded for eight years after his passing, owned by local Kansas City charities and governed by a board searching for a new resident owner who agreed not to move the team.

Reader's Guide

The path to ownership began in earnest after the Athletics moved to Oakland following the 1967 season. Inspired by his wife's suggestion that this was a "new frontier" good for him, Kauffman joined the forefront of the push for an expansion team. On January 11, 1968, he was officially announced as the owner of the new franchise, christened the Kansas City Royals, set to play in the 1969 season. The team's first decade involved building a foundation; they did not win a pennant in their fifth year but achieved division titles in 1976 and 1980 before winning the World Series in 1985. Kauffman faced challenges in selling the team during the 1980s, including a failed deal with Michael Shapiro in 1982 and a minority stake sale to Avron D. Fogelman that reverted to Kauffman in 1990 due to Fogelman's financial trouble. In May 1993, shortly before his death on August 1, he was inducted into the team Hall of Fame. Jackson County named Royals Stadium in his honor on July 2, despite his protests. David Glass eventually purchased the team in 2000.

Did You Know?

• Kauffman taught himself to speed read at age 11 while out of school for a year due to a heart valve condition, later crediting this skill with his business success.
• He chose the name 'Marion' Laboratories over 'Ewing' to avoid appearing as a one-man operation when starting the company with just $5,000.
• Kauffman Stadium opened on April 10, 1973, featuring a privately funded fountain system that was among the largest in the world.
• In his succession plan announced in April 1993, he ensured the Royals would be owned by local Kansas City charities after his death if no new owner could be found within eight years.
• He established the Kansas City Royals Baseball Academy in 1971 to develop players into athletes, though it closed three years later due to costs.

Early Life and Educational Foundations

Ewing Kauffman was born on September 21, 1916, on a farm near Garden City, Missouri, to German-American parents John S. Kauffman and Effie May Winders. His childhood resilience was shaped by his father's farming accident, which left him blind in his right eye and prompted the family's relocation to Kansas City, where his father worked as a life insurance salesman. At age 11, Kauffman missed school for a year due to a heart valve that would not close completely; during this time, he taught himself speed reading, consuming one to two books daily. He later credited this ability as the root of his pharmaceutical success. His parents divorced in 1928 when he was 12; he lived with his mother but remained active with his father, competing in arithmetic games using license plate numbers. An active youth and Eagle Scout, he graduated from Westport High School in 1934 and earned an associate degree in Business Management from Kansas City Junior College.

Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurship and Success

Kauffman's career began in the military when he joined the U.S. Navy as a signalman in 1942, serving in Europe and the Philippines until his discharge in 1945. In 1947, he became a commissioned salesman for Lincoln Laboratories in Decatur, Illinois, earning a 20 percent commission that eventually exceeded the president's salary. He left in 1950 after the company reduced his territory and cut his commission. With a $5,000 investment, he formed Marion Laboratories, running it from his house with three close friends. He chose to use his middle name "Marion" rather than his surname to avoid appearing as a one-man operation. By 1988, revenues reached $930 million before the company merged with Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals to form Marion Merrell Dow, where Kauffman became chairman emeritus. This sale created more than 300 millionaires.

Revitalizing Kansas City Baseball

After thirteen years in Kansas City, the Athletics moved to Oakland following the 1967 season. Inspired by his wife, Kauffman led the effort for an expansion team, announced as owner on January 11, 1968. He hired Cedric Tallis as the first general manager, valuing his experience with the Los Angeles Angels in 1961. Described as "too far too ahead of his time," Kauffman set a goal for a pennant in five years and established the Kansas City Royals Baseball Academy in 1971, which closed three years later due to costs. He supported early sabermetrics proponent Earnshaw Cook. On April 10, 1973, Royals Stadium opened with a privately funded fountain system among the largest in the world, hosting the All-Star Game that same year. The team won its first division title in 1976, a pennant in 1980, and the World Series five years later. They reached the postseason seven times in 24 full seasons (1969–1992).

Philanthropy and Enduring Legacy

Kauffman established the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in the mid-1960s to fundamentally change lives through education and entrepreneurship, focusing on disadvantaged youth. He saw building enterprise as a way to spur the economy. In baseball ownership, he planned to sell by the 1980s but faced setbacks: Michael Shapiro could not secure a deposit for a significant interest in 1982, and Avron D. Fogelman's minority stake option failed due to financial trouble, reverting to Kauffman in 1990. Reported to have lost $7 million that year, he advocated for revenue sharing. In April 1993, he announced a succession plan where the team would be owned by local Kansas City charities after his death, with a board searching for a new resident owner who agreed not to move the franchise for eight years. He died on August 1, 1993, from bone cancer at age 76. In 2007, he was nominated for the Baseball Hall of Fame but not elected; he was later inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.