William Henry Donner (1864–1953) was an American businessman and philanthropist, born in Columbus, Indiana . He graduated from Hanover College in 1887. His academic philanthropy led to the creation of the five chairs and the title of Donner Professor.
31-522: The Donner Prize is an award given annually by one of Canada's largest foundations, the Donner Canadian Foundation , for books considered excellent in regard to the writing of Canadian public policy. The prize was established in 1998, and is meant to encourage an open exchange of ideas and to provide a springboard for authors who can make an original and meaningful contribution to policy discourse. The Donner Canadian Foundation also established
62-516: A CEO include Ford , HSBC , Alphabet Inc. , and HP . A vice- or deputy chair, subordinate to the chair, is sometimes chosen to assist and to serve as chair in the latter's absence, or when a motion involving the chair is being discussed. In the absence of the chair and vice-chair, groups sometimes elect a chair pro tempore to fill the role for a single meeting. In some organizations that have both titles, deputy chair ranks higher than vice-chair, as there are often multiple vice-chairs but only
93-572: A five-person jury whose members are drawn from the ranks of Canadian professors, university administrators, businesspeople, and politicians. The committee announces a short list in April of each year. The winners and runners-up are announced at an annual awards banquet in April or May. Donner Canadian Foundation Early in adulthood, Donner managed the family-owned grain mill, and in his twenties, he invested in Indiana natural gas and real estate. He founded
124-418: Is following the rules of the group. In committees or small boards, the chair votes along with the other members; in assemblies or larger boards, the chair should vote only when it can affect the result. At a meeting, the chair only has one vote (i.e. the chair cannot vote twice and cannot override the decision of the group unless the organization has specifically given the chair such authority). The powers of
155-563: Is now in the Menominee river on the Michigan side awaiting scrapping. The ship's pilot house and superstructure had been removed several years earlier. Donner's son, Joseph, died in 1929, from cancer. In 1932, Donner turned his attention to philanthropy, with a special interest in cancer research. He founded two notable foundations that are still in operation today, the William H. Donner Foundation in
186-504: Is rather evenly divided over which is the preferable model. There is a growing push by public market investors for companies with an executive chair to have a lead independent director to provide some element of an independent perspective. The role of the chair in a private equity-backed board differs from the role in non-profit or publicly listed organizations in several ways, including the pay, role and what makes an effective private-equity chair. Companies with both an executive chair and
217-453: Is still one of the most generous benefactors to the right in Canada). Chair (official) The chair , also chairman , chairwoman , or chairperson , is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board , committee , or deliberative assembly . The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the group or organisation, presides over meetings of
248-703: The Great Lakes at the time), the William H. Donner was named in his honor at the Great Lakes Engineering Works and shipyard in Ashtabula , Ohio . Still holding the name, it had functioned since 1969 as a stationary crane ship and cargo transfer hull in Marinette, Wisconsin . It was owned by K.K. Integrated Logistics . Her final retirement came in 2015; as of March, 2016, the 102-year-old vessel had been moved and
279-505: The Donner Building) The Donner Canadian Foundation was established in 1950 and for 43 years was a typical, uncontroversial Canadian charitable fund. In 1993, the conservative American Donner heirs who control the foundation changed its primary focus to that of supporting conservative research. From 1993 to 1999, under the leadership of executive directors Devon Gaffney Cross and then Patrick Luciani,
310-644: The National Tin Plate Company, originally based in North Anderson, Indiana, and obtained a patent for an innovation in tin plate rolling processes. Donner then shifted his energies from Indiana to the Monongahela Valley of southwestern Pennsylvania. In 1897, his National Tin Plate Company was the first employer in the newly created community of Monessen, Pennsylvania . The town's main street
341-901: The United States, and the Donner Canadian Foundation in Canada. William H. Donner died in Montreal in 1953. The Donner Center was donated to the City of Columbus, Indiana, in 1947 from William H. Donner and sits in Donner Park, Columbus' oldest park. For 70 years, the Columbus, Indiana Parks and Recreation administrative facility has served as the home for youth and adult programs, community events, family reunions, wedding receptions and provided meeting space for community clubs and local businesses. In 1958,
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#1732848279087372-517: The William H. Donner Foundation used $ 2.5 million to fund five chairs in science at MIT , Harvard , Yale , Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania thus creating the title of Donner Professor. The Donner Building was funded by W H Donner kin 1947-48 for medical research at McGill University. It is now part of the Dentistry faculty. Mr Donner died in Montreal in 1953.(McGill University history of
403-708: The X Committee". Lenin , for example, officially functioned as the head of Soviet Russian government not as prime minister or as president but as "Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars ". At the same time, the head of the state was first called "Chairman of the Central Executive Committee " (until 1938) and then "Chairman of the Presidium of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet ". In Communist China, Mao Zedong
434-508: The chair exceeds their authority, engages in misconduct, or fails to perform their duties, they may face disciplinary procedures. Such procedures may include censure , suspension, or removal from office . The rules of the organization would provide details on who can perform these disciplinary procedures. Usually, whoever appointed or elected the chair has the power to discipline them. There are three common types of chair in public corporations. The chief executive officer (CEO) may also hold
465-419: The chair vary widely across organizations. In some organizations they have the authority to hire staff and make financial decisions. In others they only make recommendations to a board of directors , or may have no executive powers, in which case they are mainly a spokesperson for the organization. The power given depends upon the type of organization, its structure, and the rules it has created for itself. If
496-482: The chair" and is also referred to as "the chair". Parliamentary procedure requires that members address the "chair" as "Mr. (or Madam) Chairman (or Chair or Chairperson)" rather than using a name – one of many customs intended to maintain the presiding officer's impartiality and to ensure an objective and impersonal approach. In the British music hall tradition, the chairman was the master of ceremonies who announced
527-509: The chair. The FranklinCovey Style Guide for Business and Technical Communication and the American Psychological Association style guide advocate using chair or chairperson . The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style (2000) suggested that the gender-neutral forms were gaining ground; it advocated chair for both men and women. The Daily Telegraph 's style guide bans the use of chair and chairperson ;
558-454: The deputy. After the 2006 reorganization, the management cadre ran the business, while the chair oversaw the controls of the business through compliance and audit and the direction of the business. Non-executive chair is also a separate post from the CEO; unlike an executive chair, a non-executive chair does not interfere in day-to-day company matters. Across the world, many companies have separated
589-534: The event. Terms for the office and its holder include chair , chairperson , chairman , chairwoman , convenor , facilitator , moderator , president , and presiding officer . The chair of a parliamentary chamber is sometimes called the speaker . Chair has been used to refer to a seat or office of authority since the middle of the 17th century; its earliest citation in the Oxford English Dictionary dates to 1658–1659, four years after
620-428: The first citation for chairman . Feminist critiques have analysed Chairman as an example of sexist language, associating the male gender with the exercise of authority, this has led to the widespread use of the generic "Chairperson". In World Schools Style debating , as of 2009, chairperson or chair refers to the person who controls the debate; it recommends using Madame Chair or Mr. Chairman to address
651-477: The foundation provided the seed money to start several conservative Canadian think-tanks and publications, and became the "lifeblood of conservative research" in Canada. In 1999, the American Donner heirs who control the foundation began donating more of its money to land and wildlife conservation, international development, medical research and the arts, reducing funding of conservative research (though it
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#1732848279087682-406: The group chair of HSBC is considered the top position of that institution, outranking the chief executive, and is responsible for leading the board and representing the company in meetings with government figures. Before the creation of the group management board in 2006, HSBC's chair essentially held the duties of a chief executive at an equivalent institution, while HSBC's chief executive served as
713-452: The group, and is required to conduct the group's business in an orderly fashion. In some organizations, the chair is also known as president (or other title). In others, where a board appoints a president (or other title), the two terms are used for distinct positions. The term chairman may be used in a neutral manner, not directly implying the gender of the holder. In meetings or conferences, to "chair" something (chairing) means to lead
744-412: The newspaper's position, as of 2018, is that "chairman is correct English". The National Association of Parliamentarians adopted a resolution in 1975 discouraging the use of chairperson and rescinded it in 2017. The word chair can refer to the place from which the holder of the office presides, whether on a chair, at a lectern, or elsewhere. During meetings, the person presiding is said to be "in
775-506: The performances and was responsible for controlling any rowdy elements in the audience. The role was popularised on British TV in the 1960s and 1970s by Leonard Sachs , the chairman on the variety show The Good Old Days . "Chairman" as a quasi-title gained particular resonance when socialist states from 1917 onward shunned more traditional leadership labels and stressed the collective control of Soviets (councils or committees) by beginning to refer to executive figureheads as "Chairman of
806-478: The prize to recognize and reward the best public policy thinking, writing and research by a Canadian, and the role it plays in determining the well-being of Canadians and the success of Canada as a whole. The grand prize is $ 60,000 and short-listed finalists receive $ 7,500 each. To be eligible, a book must be on a theme relevant to Canadian policy and be authored by one or more Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Entries are submitted by publishers, and selected by
837-568: The roles of chair and CEO, saying that this move improves corporate governance. The non-executive chair's duties are typically limited to matters directly related to the board, such as: Many companies in the US have an executive chair; this method of organization is sometimes called the American model. Having a non-executive chair is common in the UK and Canada; this is sometimes called the British model. Expert opinion
868-492: The title of chair, in which case the board frequently names an independent member of the board as a lead director. This position is equivalent to the position of président-directeur général in France. Executive chair is an office separate from that of CEO, where the titleholder wields influence over company operations, such as Larry Ellison of Oracle , Douglas Flint of HSBC and Steve Case of AOL Time Warner . In particular,
899-541: Was commonly called "Chairman Mao", as he was officially Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission . In addition to the administrative or executive duties in organizations, the chair presides over meetings. Such duties at meetings include: While presiding, the chair should remain impartial and not interrupt a speaker if the speaker has the floor and
930-525: Was named "Donner Avenue" in his honor. Donner then sold his tin plate company and used the proceeds to create Union Steel Company (later American Steel and Wire Company ), in the new community of Donora, Pennsylvania , in 1899-1900. The "Don" in "Donora" was in recognition of William Donner's key role in the founding of that community. In creating Union Steel Company, Donner received financial backing from Henry Clay Frick , Andrew W. Mellon , and Richard B. Mellon , in addition to Donner's own funds. The town
961-571: Was the site of the Donora Smog of 1948 . After selling his Donora-based company in 1903, Donner became president of Cambria Steel Company and served as chairman of the board of the Pennsylvania Steel Company. Near the end of his career, he created the Buffalo -based Donner Steel Company, which he sold in 1929. In 1914, a new cargo ship (at 524 feet long and 9,600 tons one of the largest on