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All in the Family
When John B. McCoy, MBA '67, accepted the Stanford Business School Alumni Association's Ernest C. Arbuckle Award in April, no one was more delighted than the Arbuckle Award winner of 1986, McCoy's father, John G. McCoy, MBA '39, (right). It wasn't the first time the younger McCoy had followed in the paternal footsteps: Two decades before, McCoy had succeeded his father and grandfather at the top of Ohio's most prominent bank. And back in the sixties he heeded the advice his grandfather had given his father long ago.
"Grandfather was convinced that the future would require new thinking and, as he said, 'That's what they teach out there,'" McCoy told 360 people gathered in San Francisco for the award dinner. "Father said the same thing to me. He continues to tell me that his business school experience at Stanford stimulated his constant search for new ideas, and the innovative spirit out here provides an exceptional foundation for almost any career.... When I look back at my decision to attend the Business School, I always thought I made the choice. Now I'm not so sure."
Under John B. McCoy's leadership, Banc One has become the eighth largest bank in the United States, with affiliates in 13 states. In 1991, the New York Times called Banc One "the best little bank in America," commending its combination of "conservative lending, innovative technology, remarkable customer service, and an uncanny ability to smoothly absorb a steady stream of acquired banks."
McCoy's leadership in business is matched by his commitment to his community. He has been a trustee of the United Way of Franklin County and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. He was chairman of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and the Columbus Area Growth Foundation. At Stanford, he is a trustee of the University and a director of the Stanford Management Company, which oversees the University's investments. In 1992, he established the John B. McCoy fellowship fund to assist MBA students at the Business School.
Stanford hasn't seen the last of the McCoys. "Over the years, eight McCoys have graduated from Stanford, including my wife, my father, and my uncle," McCoy told the Arbuckle dinner guests, as he introduced a niece who is enrolling in the MBA Program this quarter. Following another family tradition, McCoy, his wife Jane, Stanford AM '67, and their three children live in Columbus.
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