Roy Park

The life of Roy H. Park (1910-1993) is a classic American success story story. A poor farm boy from North Carolina, he founded two great companies in completely different fields and became one of the wealthiest men in America. A precocious writer and cub reporter for his hometown paper, he worked his way through North Carolina State working for the Associated Press, and gradated to a job as publicist for the North Carolina Cotton Growers Cooperative Association. His ingenuity promoting his home state's products led ot a job with the Grange League Federation, a national farmer's association based in Ithaca, New York. When the Federation needed a marketing outlet for excess food products he enlisted the well-known food critic Duncan Hines to endorse a line of packaged foods. Hines-Park Foods, and its signature product, Duncan Hines Cake Mix was a national success. Within five years, Park sold the company to Procter and Gamble, joining the larger firm as a senior executive. Park invested his profits from the sale by buying up radio and television stations, first in his home state, than in his adopted one, then across the South and West. In 1962, he left Procter and Gamble to concentrate on his new company. When he addressed the Academy of Achievement at its 1984 Summit in Minneapolis, Minnesota, his company was the first to own as many radio and television stations as the law allowed. At the time of his death, Park Communications owned 21 radio stations, seven television stations and 144 publications in 24 states. In this podcast, he shares his advice for achieving success. He encourages the Academy's student delegates to change direction in life if circumstances call for it, and emphasizes the overriding value of honesty in all business ventures.