Jack C. Massey

Jack Carroll Massey (1904-1990), Venture capitalist and entrepreneur, born 1904 in Tennille, Georgia. In 1964, after a career in the medical supply industry, he bought Kentucky Fried Chicken from its founder, Harland Sanders, for $2 million. Seven years later he sold it for $239 million. His Hospital Corporation of America (founded 1968) became the nation's largest chain of for-profit hospitals. After 1978, he transformed Winners Corporation into a major fast-food franchise operation. Finally, he listed Volunteer Capital Corporation (a holding company of Wendy's Restaurant fast food franchises) on the New York Stock Exchange. He is the only person to ever have taken three companies public. The Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business at Belmont University is named in his honor.

On November 1, 2005, Belmont University honored Massey and his family who donated $1 Million Gift to endow a Financial Trading Room named in his honor. A special gathering was held to open the trading room in conjunction with the release of his biography, "Master of the Big Board: The Life, Times and Business of Jack Massey" by Bill Carey.