Donald Schnuck
Co-Founder
Schnuck Markets, Inc.
Laureate 2006
Donald O. Schnuck was a bright and
serious student who typically rode
his bicycle several miles to and from
grammar school in north St. Louis.
As a teenager, Don worked in his parents’
corner store after school and on Saturdays.
After high school, he continued to work
at the store by day and enrolled in night
classes at Washington University where he
realized his interest in business.
As the nation braced for WWII, Don enlisted
and continued his studies in the Navy’s
college training program, which included
coursework at Columbia and Harvard
Universities. When Don returned home from
active duty in 1946, he took ownership of
his first grocery store in North St. Louis.
Don’s business decisions demonstrated a
keen marketing sense and determination
to deliver the highest possible levels of
customer service. He stayed on top of
technological advances and consumer trends
and led the industry in the implementation
of cutting edge ideas.
In 1970, Don was largely responsible for
securing funding for the purchase of 25 lowperforming
Bettendorf-Rapp stores, a move
that more than doubled the company’s
size. Just six months later, the stores were
making a profit and the calculated risk
turned into a strategic success. During that
time, Don became president of Schnucks,
a position he held until 1984. He served as
chairman from that point on.
The Schnuck brothers were also early
leaders of what is now known as the national
Food Marketing Institute. While serving as
chairman of FMI, Don was called upon to
advise then-president Jimmy Carter on
food matters and helped influence positive
change for retailers and consumers. The
little boy who grew up watching his father
deliver meat door-to-door, became a leader
capable of opening doors for countless
others in the grocery industry.
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