John York

John C. York II (born 1950 in Muskogee, Oklahoma) is the co-owner of the San Francisco 49ers, along with wife Denise DeBartolo York.

After graduating from Catholic High School for Boys in Little Rock, AR, York attended the University of Notre Dame, studying pre-medicine. While in college, he met his wife, who was attending the neighboring St. Mary's College of Indiana. He earned his medical degree from Loyola University and did residency training at Vanderbilt University. He has become a renowned cancer pathologist and often lectures on his work at elite universities.

In 1982, York founded DeYor Laboratories, a small research company that has eventually grown to become a corporation of over 500 employees. It has been absorbed into his wife's company, The DeBartolo Corporation, of which York is executive vice president.

After the disappointment of the 2007-2008 season and threats by the current ownership to move the team from San Francisco, a small band of 49er fans have begun to call on the current ownership to sell the team in a manner similar to the Green Bay Packers. This would entail selling the team by manner of offering shares publicly and ensuring that no one person owns more than twenty percent of the total number of shares issued. The NFL rules, however, prevent such a situation occurring.