|
From H. J. Heinz's emigration to the creation of the Heinz Endowments, the family and corporate history is presented here in an illustrated timeline. It even includes the birth of the pickle pin. See a tradition of philanthropy take shape. Click here.
|
|
From the very beginning, H. J. Heinz did things differently.
He built his business, founded in 1869, on the philosophy that "heart power is better than horsepower." Believing that "kindly care and fair treatment" was the right and moral way to treat employees, rooftop gardens, lunchtime concerts, and weekly manicures for all food handlers were staples at H. J. Heinz. Today, H. J. Heinz products are found on most American tables—and in more than 200 countries. Apparently, there is soundness to the Heinz philosophy that cannot be denied.
Safety First
Heinz modeled his life and business on his mother's admonition: "Do not live for yourself." His care for his fellow man extended beyond employees.
At the turn of the century, botulism in processed food was a common problem in America. Safety standards for processing foods were lacking and, in many cases, nonexistent. From the beginning, H. J. Heinz maintained the highest standards for the processing of all Heinz products. In a stroke of marketing genius, he urged consumers to buy carefully—and advertised Heinz products as "pure" foods. H. J. Heinz (and other family members) was in large part responsible for the creation of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act, requiring all food companies to maintain strict safety standards.
The Next Generation: Howard Heinz
Howard Heinz was the son of H. J. and his wife Sarah. Growing up, Howard spent summers learning the business. His experiences even included stints in the salting house. He attended Yale University, and like many family members to follow, made his mark as both a business and philanthropic leader.
One of Howard's most important contributions was the Sarah Heinz House. This community center grew out of a settlement for boys Howard had founded in 1901. Since 1915, this Pittsburgh landmark has offered after-school activities for boys and girls aged seven through 18. A second home to thousands of children, the Sarah Heinz House remains in operation today.
During World War I, Howard put his management skills and encyclopedic knowledge of food processing procedures to bear as Pennsylvania's volunteer food conservation director. At the same time, H. J. Heinz mobilized the company in support of the war-bond effort.
Howard volunteered his skills again in post-war Europe. He worked closely with war-ravaged European nations to initiate food relief efforts. In 1919, while in the Balkans, he learned of the death of his father. Coincidently, 1919 was also the year the company celebrated its 50th anniversary. Utilizing a bequest from H. J.'s will, Howard, his brother Clifford, and sister Irene renewed their commitment to community by building a gothic revival chapel in honor of their mother at the University of Pittsburgh. Dedicated in 1938, the Heinz Memorial Chapel has provided a beautiful and placid location for prayer and meditation for generations of Pittsburgh natives.
Forty Years of Leadership: Jack Heinz
Howard Heinz and his wife, Elizabeth Granger Rust Heinz, had two sons: Jack and Rust. Rust, who died tragically at the age of 25, was an automotive designer. Jack, who eventually succeeded his father as head of the company, was fascinated by architecture and, as many family photos prove, a talented photographer.
Jack married Joan Diehl; their son, H. J. (John) Heinz III, was born in 1938. Following his father's death in 1941, Jack assumed the company helm. During World War II, the company produced food products desperately needed on both on the home front and on the front lines. The H. J. Heinz Company also produced vital military goods, including glider wings used in the Allied invasion of Europe.
Not surprisingly, years of relentless wartime manufacturing efforts resulted in serious air and water pollution in Pittsburgh. Following the Heinz family tradition of community service, Jack helped lead the campaign to clean up and revitalize his hometown. His efforts continued into the 1980s.
Jack's active community leadership and his intense interest in the arts led to citywide revival and the creation of a downtown Pittsburgh cultural area. In 1971, his efforts, together with funding from the Heinz family, resulted in the creation of Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts, the home of the Pittsburgh Symphony. He also spearheaded the creation of the Heinz Gallery, located in the Carnegie Museum of Art, in 1988, and the development of the Benedum Center, a two-year restoration of Pittsburgh's historic Stanley Theater.
John and Teresa Heinz: Modern Leadership
Unfortunately, Jack Heinz died before the opening of the Benedum project. His son, John, however, continued the family's tradition of community support in new and exciting ways. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1971, and later to the U.S. Senate, John spent his legislative career focused on issues related to the elderly, international finance, and aging. He worked diligently to help workers victimized by unfair trade practices, families without health insurance, and many others in need of assistance.
John Heinz's reputation as a protector of the environment was established through his involvement in forward-thinking programs. These included "Project 88," which recommended market-based solutions to environmental problems, the Pennsylvania Wilderness Act, and GLOBE, U.S.A. (Global Legislators for a Balanced Environment), of which he was chairman.
John and his wife Teresa appreciated beauty in both nature and the arts. Together, they established a fine collection of late 18th- and 19th-century American paintings, as well as 17th-century Northern European still lifes. The Heinz collection of Dutch, Flemish, and other still lifes has been exhibited at the National Gallery of Art and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
Tragically, Senator Heinz died in an airplane accident in 1991. Through Teresa Heinz, however, his legacy of activism and caring continues.
- In 1991, Mrs. Heinz assumed chairmanship of the Howard Heinz Endowment. She is currently chairman of the Heinz Family Philanthropies (The Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation, The Heinz Family Foundation, and The H. John Heinz III Foundation), considered among the nation's most innovative philanthropic institutions.
- In 1992, the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation began working in cooperation with the Earth Communications Office to produce a series of public Service announcements. ECO's public-service announcements are broadcast on movie screens, television, and radio, and through a unique network of ancillary outlets including airlines, stadiums, retail outlets, schools, hotels, home videos, CD ROMs, and the Internet. Connections was produced in 1992, Power of One in 1993, and Mother in 1995. These award-winning PSAs have been viewed by more than one billion people.
- In 1992, Teresa Heinz created the John Heinz Senate Fellowship Program to honor her late husband as an outspoken advocate for the rights of older Americans. The program identifies and trains new leaders in issues affecting seniors and offers career-development opportunities for mid-level professionals working on the development and advancement of public policy and legislation intended to improve the quality of life for older Americans.
- In 1993, Mrs. Heinz created The Heinz Awards, an annual program recognizing outstanding vision and achievement in the arts, public policy, technology and the economy, the environment, and the human condition. The five annual Heinz Awards of $250,000 each are among the largest individual achievement prizes in the world.
- In 1994, the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation initiated a labor-management initiative called The Pennsylvania Health Care Trust. Aimed at improving the quality of health care as well as its availability, The Pennsylvania Health Care Trust is a coalition of five statewide education-related organizations that intends to provide medical coverage for school employees at reasonable prices to their employers. At the same time, it works to control the costs for taxpayers. The Heinz Family Philanthropies underwrote all Trust planning and start-up costs. All costs associated with the operation of the Trust are paid with private funds.
- In 1995, the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation began funding of the EnvironMinute radio broadcasts project. The EnvironMinute radio broadcasts are daily one-minute weekday features that deal with a broad range of issues in the environmental, natural resources, and energy fields. They are aired on more than 180 domestic AM and FM radio stations and aired internationally via the Armed Forces Radio Network. The broadcasts are also available via the internet.
- In 1995, Mrs. Heinz announced one of the largest grants ever made in support of the environment—a $20 million gift to create the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment. Representatives of business, government, the scientific community, and environmental groups come together in this unique facility to collaborate on the development of mutually acceptable, yet scientifically sound, environmental policies.
- In 1996, the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation created WISER, the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement, an outgrowth of the Women's Retirement Initiative. That Initiative is part of the Philanthropies' continuing effort to raise the profile of critical issues relating to pensions and retirement savings, particularly with respect to women. WISER focuses exclusively on increasing awareness of the structural barriers that prevent women from fair participation in the nation's retirement systems. It strives, through education, to improve women's opportunities to achieve a secure retirement income.
- In 1996, the Heinz Family Foundation compiled a report focused on the voting behaviors of younger Americans. The Democracy Project began as an effort by the Heinz Family Foundation to examine how environmental issues could be used to propel more young people to vote. The research program was broadened when preliminary focus-group findings suggested that young people had significant and sometimes unexpected concerns about national politics. Additional focus groups, nationwide polling, and a post-election poll in November 1996 were conducted and the findings became the basis for The Democracy Project.
- In 1996, the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation brought together environmental and women's health leaders at the first Women's Health and Environmental Conference. Held each fall in Boston, the conference attracts hundreds of women, activists, and mothers for panel discussions by some of the leading experts on women's issues. The Women's Health and the Environment Conference series explores the impact of the physical, psychological, and economic environment on the health and well-being of women.
- In 1997, the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation began funding of a weekly PBS program called, Health Week. Produced by Newsweek Productions, Inc. in association with Maryland Public Television, Health Week programs cover a number of health issues including cancer, Alzheimer's, heart disease, hormone replacement therapy, smoking, just to name a few.
- In 1998, the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation and WISER co-authored a little pamphlet called What Every Woman Needs to Know About Money And Retirement. Published in Good Housekeeping and Attaché, the pamphlet reached more than 25 million readers. The goal of the project was to educate millions of women about financial planning for retirement. The wide distribution of this project sparked a national discussion of unprecedented breadth for the subject of women's retirement concerns.
- In 2001, the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation published the first of its coordinated contracting studies, The Massachusetts Plan for Aggregate Purchasing. Aggregate purchasing, or bulk purchasing, allows plan sponsors—employers and/or state governments—to aggregate, or consolidate, the various entities involved in prescription drug programs into one purchasing unit. Aggregate purchasing allows plan sponsors—or the entity such as an employer or state agency who is fiscally responsible for funding the benefit—to combine with one or more additional plan sponsor(s) in an effort to increase the total number of covered lives. This larger pool of purchasers can be used to leverage more favorable financial arrangements. A second coordinated contracting study was completed for the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2002.
In the area of economic opportunity, Mrs. Heinz has championed the education of women regarding the importance of pensions, savings, and retirement security. An innovative leader in the area of health care, she recently unveiled the Heinz Plan to Overcome Prescription Drug Expenses (HOPE), a program designed to make prescription drugs affordable to all persons 65 and over.
The legacy continues with Mrs. Teresa Heinz, a nationally recognized philanthropic and public policy leader. Through her efforts, exciting, innovative, and positive-change producing programs are under development or underway across the nation.
Back to Top
|
 |
