Donald Stanley Carver was born February 22, 1928 – son of Professor John S. Carver (Chairman of Washington State College’s Poultry Science Department for many years) and Martha Buck Carver. The first 21 years of Don’s life were spent in Pullman where he enjoyed the many attributes WSC (now WSU) had to offer.
He attended Pullman schools. While attending Pullman High School, Don received many honors. He was Captain of PHS Football Team and Co-Captain of PHS Basketball Team. His PHS days culminated as President of the Student Body.
Don enrolled at WSC in 1947 where he majored in Animal Sciences. He graduated in 1950 with a BS degree. He was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Alpha Zeta, Sigma Xi, Scabbard and Blade and Phi Delta Theta. Immediately following his graduation from Washington State, Don attended Iowa State University and earned a PhD in nutrition in 1953. He then began his career in the corporate world as a Research Assistant with Swift & Co., Chicago.
Having served in Washington State’s ROTC Program, Don was called to active duty and served in the U.S. Air Force as a personnel officer from 1954 through 1956. He returned to the corporate world in 1956 where his positions included Director of the Pet Food Laboratory and a Research Associate at James Ford Bell, General Mills, Minneapolis. One year later he became Director of Research for Ovaltine Food Products, Chicago. (He received the Packaging Award of the year for Fiddle Faddle). In 1967 Don was promoted to President of Ovaltine – with much time spent in Berne, Switzerland. In 1971 Don was Vice President of Planning, Purchasing and Product Development for Standard Brands in New York City. His extensive business activities led to the culmination of his corporate career as President of the Cracker Jack Co., a Division of Borden, Inc, Chicago.
In 1975, after 20 years in the corporate world, Don changed careers – using his extensive experience teaching Marketing and Management at National University, San Diego, CA He was named Dean of the School of Management and Business and retired in 1992. (Today National University is the second largest private non-profit University in California).
Don’s personal life was highlighted by his marriage to Barbara Bristol (daughter of Walter M. Bristol, WSU Professor of Economics and Director of the Placement Bureau) in 1949. Barbara graduated from Washington State in 1949. She served on numerous committees – a member of the AWS Council and President of Kappa Alpha Theta. They have seven children: fours sons and three daughters. All have enjoyed the “Cougar Spirit” throughout their life! They have enjoyed the proximity to Pullman while at the family cabin on Coeur d’Alene Lake, where Don and Barbara retired after leaving San Diego.
In addition to the affiliations mentioned above, Don held memberships in many organizations including the American Men of Science, Who’s Who in the West, National Management Association, Executive Club of Chicago. He was on the boards of the San Diego County Health Association, the Institute of Food Technology and the Regional Advisory Board of the Small Business Association. He was a consultant to many national firms, authored numerous papers and spoke to groups around the USA – always wearing the badge of his beloved alma mater – Washington State! He received WSU’s Alumni Achievement Award in 1992 for “outstanding leadership and achievement in the fields of corporate business and education”.
Don died October 25, 1999 – after a 10-year bout with Parkinson’s Disease – and today rests once again in Pullman – high on the hill at the Pullman Cemetery – over-looking the alma mater that served him so well.