2008 Woodie Awards
Chick-fil-A founder to visit Samford University
Sloan Schmidtke
Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: News
Who better to illustrate Samford’s mission to “nurture persons for God, for learning, forever” than S. Truett Cathy, founder and chairman of Chick-fil-A?
Cathy, along with his three children, will be featured and honored at a two-day leadership forum March 3-4 at Samford. Cathy’s oldest son, Dan, is the president of the family-owned business.
Donald “Bubba” Cathy is the senior vice president of Chick-fil-A. Cathy’s daughter, Trudy White, who is heavily involved with the family’s Winshape ministries, will also be visiting Samford next week.
Cathy said he finds it very gratifying as a father to be able to work alongside his children.
“My business is a family-oriented business, and it’s very exciting to me as a father to see Chick-fil-A spill over not only to the second generation of the Cathy family, but also to the third,” Cathy said.
Westmoreland said he can relate to Cathy’s values.
“For decades, Truett Cathy has been a shining example as an entrepreneur who bases his life on solid principles and the spiritual truths that come from his strong faith,” he said.
The Cathy family’s relationship with Samford spans four decades. Truett’s son, Don Cathy, graduated from Samford in 1975 with a business degree.
His sister, Trudy, also graduated from Samford with an education degree in 1979.
The Beeson Divinity School and the Brock School of Business have been collaborating for months to plan this leadership forum. Sarah Latham, assistant to Westmoreland, has also had a hand in planning this event.
“The purpose of the event is to highlight the Cathy family. Mr. Cathy and his children model the integration of ethics into the workplace. The two-day event will include many opportunities for the members of the family to discuss their model of leadership and ethics,” Latham said.
Cathy began his business career in 1946 with a diner in Atlanta, the Dwarf House. With the success of that restaurant under his belt, Cathy opened the first Chick-fil-A in Atlanta’s Greenbriar Shopping Center in 1967.
The familiar slogan “Eat More Chicken” has become a universal maxim throughout the United States.
The chain has grown into the second-largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in the United States. Chick-fil-A now has more than 1,300 restaurants in 37 states and has had a record of 39 consecutive years of annual sales increases.
Chick-fil-A’s “closed-on-Sunday” policy is just one example of the way Cathy’s faith spills over into his business practices.
Cathy said he wants students at Samford to understand that the incorporation of faith into business practices is not only achievable but practical.
“I see no conflict between biblical principles and business practices. I feel God created us all to want to be somebody and to achieve something noteworthy, so that’s in our favor,” he said.
“Anything you can conceive and believe, you can achieve. I want students to know you can do anything if you want to!”
The theme of the forum, “How did you do it Truett?” is also the name of Cathy’s new book.
The two-day event will begin with a closed luncheon at The Club sponsored by the Brock School of Business and will feature Cathy as the keynote speaker.
On Monday at 7 p.m. there will be an open worship service in Hodges Chapel.
The Cathy family will speak on the importance of a faith that carries into all aspects of life.
The University Convocation will feature the Cathy family on Tuesday morning in Hodges Chapel.
Cathy and his children will tell the stories of the different ministries in which they are involved.
The last event will occur on Tuesday at 1 p.m. Dr. Beck A. Taylor, business school dean, will interview Cathy in Brock Forum.
Cathy, along with his three children, will be featured and honored at a two-day leadership forum March 3-4 at Samford. Cathy’s oldest son, Dan, is the president of the family-owned business.
Donald “Bubba” Cathy is the senior vice president of Chick-fil-A. Cathy’s daughter, Trudy White, who is heavily involved with the family’s Winshape ministries, will also be visiting Samford next week.
Cathy said he finds it very gratifying as a father to be able to work alongside his children.
“My business is a family-oriented business, and it’s very exciting to me as a father to see Chick-fil-A spill over not only to the second generation of the Cathy family, but also to the third,” Cathy said.
Westmoreland said he can relate to Cathy’s values.
“For decades, Truett Cathy has been a shining example as an entrepreneur who bases his life on solid principles and the spiritual truths that come from his strong faith,” he said.
The Cathy family’s relationship with Samford spans four decades. Truett’s son, Don Cathy, graduated from Samford in 1975 with a business degree.
His sister, Trudy, also graduated from Samford with an education degree in 1979.
The Beeson Divinity School and the Brock School of Business have been collaborating for months to plan this leadership forum. Sarah Latham, assistant to Westmoreland, has also had a hand in planning this event.
“The purpose of the event is to highlight the Cathy family. Mr. Cathy and his children model the integration of ethics into the workplace. The two-day event will include many opportunities for the members of the family to discuss their model of leadership and ethics,” Latham said.
Cathy began his business career in 1946 with a diner in Atlanta, the Dwarf House. With the success of that restaurant under his belt, Cathy opened the first Chick-fil-A in Atlanta’s Greenbriar Shopping Center in 1967.
The familiar slogan “Eat More Chicken” has become a universal maxim throughout the United States.
The chain has grown into the second-largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in the United States. Chick-fil-A now has more than 1,300 restaurants in 37 states and has had a record of 39 consecutive years of annual sales increases.
Chick-fil-A’s “closed-on-Sunday” policy is just one example of the way Cathy’s faith spills over into his business practices.
Cathy said he wants students at Samford to understand that the incorporation of faith into business practices is not only achievable but practical.
“I see no conflict between biblical principles and business practices. I feel God created us all to want to be somebody and to achieve something noteworthy, so that’s in our favor,” he said.
“Anything you can conceive and believe, you can achieve. I want students to know you can do anything if you want to!”
The theme of the forum, “How did you do it Truett?” is also the name of Cathy’s new book.
The two-day event will begin with a closed luncheon at The Club sponsored by the Brock School of Business and will feature Cathy as the keynote speaker.
On Monday at 7 p.m. there will be an open worship service in Hodges Chapel.
The Cathy family will speak on the importance of a faith that carries into all aspects of life.
The University Convocation will feature the Cathy family on Tuesday morning in Hodges Chapel.
Cathy and his children will tell the stories of the different ministries in which they are involved.
The last event will occur on Tuesday at 1 p.m. Dr. Beck A. Taylor, business school dean, will interview Cathy in Brock Forum.
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