Lonnie "Bo" Pilgrim

Lonnie Alfred "Bo" Pilgrim (May 8, 1928 – July 21, 2017) was the co-founder of Pilgrim's Pride, which at one time was the largest chicken producer in the United States. Pilgrim founded Pilgrim's Pride when he opened a feed store in 1946 in Pittsburg, Texas, with his older brother, Aubrey. He became the CEO of the company upon the death of his brother Aubrey in 1966.[1]

In 1989, when the Texas Senate had a debate on a bill to gut state workers' compensation laws, Pilgrim handed out $10,000 US checks on the Senate floor . Pilgrim was a supporter of the bill, and also overwhelmingly contributed to the gubernatorial and presidential campaigns of George W. Bush.

In addition to his holdings in Pilgrim's Pride, he is also principal shareholder of NETEX Bancorporation, a bank holding company which operates Pilgrim Bank, a bank with branches in Pittsburg and nearby Mount Pleasant.

Pilgrim was also a noted philanthropist, giving money to many different charities and community organizations, including Dallas Baptist University to build the Pilgrim Chapel[2] as well as the Patty and Bo Pilgrim Cancer Center in Mount Pleasant.[3]

Pilgrim gave the maximum amount allowed by law to Jeb Bush's 2016 Presidential Campaign.[4] He was a frequent contributor to conservative politicians. For several consecutive years he would donate $25,000 to the NRCC.

Pilgrim died on July 21, 2017 in Pittsburg, Texas. He was 89 years old.[5]

References

  1. ↑ About Pilgrim Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  2. ↑ web|url="https://www4.dbu.edu/international/blog/780-discover-dbu-from-the-inside-patty-and-bo-pilgrim-chapel"
  3. ↑ {{cite web|url=https://www.texasoncology.com/cancer-centers/mount-pleasant/texas-oncology-mount-pleasant
  4. ↑ "Federal Election Commission Home Page". fec.gov. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  5. ↑ Harrison Smith (July 25, 2017). "Lonnie 'Bo' Pilgrim, poultry baron and prominent Texas political donor, dies at 89". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
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