JR Shaw

{{Infobox person

| name = JR Shaw

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|OC|AOE|size=100%}}

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name = James Robert Shaw

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1934|08|14}}

| birth_place = Brigden, Ontario, Canada

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|03|23|1934|08|14}}

| death_place =

| spouse = {{marriage|Carol Bulman|1956}}

| children = 4

| parents = Lottie and Francis Shaw

| other_names =

| occupation = Businessman

| alma_mater = Michigan State University

| years_active =

| known_for = Shaw Communications

| notable_works =

}}

JR Shaw {{post-nominals|country=CAN|size=100%|OC|AOE}} (born James Robert Shaw, August 14, 1934 – March 23, 2020) was a Canadian businessman. He founded Alberta-based Shaw Communications in 1966 and was the executive chairman of the company.{{cite news|last1=Dobby|first1=Christine|title=Five things to know about the Corus-Shaw Media deal|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/five-things-to-know-about-the-corus-shaw-media-deal/article28143529/|work=The Globe and Mail|date=January 13, 2016 |access-date=January 3, 2020}} As of 2016, Shaw and other members of his family controlled 85 percent of the Class A voting shares of Corus Entertainment, and 80 per cent of the class A voting shares of Shaw Communications. Shaw sat on the board of directors of Suncor Energy from 2001 to 2007. The School of Business at NAIT is named after him.

Early years

Shaw was born in 1934 in Brigden, Ontario, the son of Lottie and Francis Shaw, and was raised on his family's farm with his siblings, Les, Bertha and Dolly. The Shaw business dynasty originated in rural Lambton County with Francis Shaw, originally from Kimball, who served in World War I. Francis inherited the family farm, and his brother Joel inherited the grist mill.{{Cite web| last = Morden| first = Paul| date = January 14, 2016 | access-date=January 3, 2016| title = Shaw business dynasty began in rural Lambton County| work = Wallaceburg Courier Press| url = https://www.wallaceburgcourierpress.com/2016/01/14/shaw-business-dynasty-began-in-rural-lambton-county/wcm/884367a2-1e62-39c6-2582-3ca5a085c138}}

Lottie Shaw ran the farm, while Francis, an entrepreneur, slowly built a construction company that became a "major contractor involved in Camp Ipperwash" during World War II. Francis Shaw expanded his businesses into "ready-mix concrete, drive-in theatres, cable television", and a "pipe coating" company—and was an innovator in Ontario.

Education

After Shaw earned his Bachelor of Arts in business administration from Michigan State University, he worked for a while at his father's pipe coating company, Shawcor.

From Ontario to Alberta

Shaw moved to Edmonton in 1961.{{cite web|title=JR Shaw|url=https://www.lieutenantgovernor.ab.ca/Aoe/business/jr-shaw/index.html|website=The Alberta Order of Excellence|publisher=Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta|access-date=April 4, 2016}} He was the father of Jim Shaw, who was the chief executive officer of Shaw Communications until his retirement in 2011,{{Cite news| title = Jim Shaw's $16,000-a-day pension|first=Derek |last=Decloet |date=February 24, 2011| access-date = 2020-01-03| url = https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-magazine/jim-shaws-16000-a-day-pension/article567977/}} and Bradley S. Shaw, the former CEO of Shaw Communications. Shaw Communications has since merged with Rogers Communications as of March 31, 2023. {{Cite web |title=Rogers-Shaw merger closes, forming new telecom giant {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9597898/rogers-shaw-merger-closes-new-telecom-giant/ |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}

In 2002, Shaw legally changed his name from James Robert Shaw to JR Shaw.{{Cite magazine|magazine= Maclean's|title=Rising in the West: Calgary's Shaw family builds a broadcast empire |series=The Complete Archive|first=Jennifer |last=Hunter|date=May 4, 1998| access-date = January 3, 2020| url = https://archive.macleans.ca/search?QueryTerm=Shaw%20Western%20International%20Communications}}{{cite encyclopedia|title=Shaw Family |first=Jennifer |last=Hunter |date=March 17, 2003 |access-date=January 3, 2020 |encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/shaw-family/}} The article in The Canadian Encyclopedia is identical to Hunter's May 4, 1998 Maclean's article. He died on March 23, 2020, at the age of 85.{{Cite web|url=https://calgaryherald.com/business/local-business/shaw-communications-announces-the-death-of-founder-jr-shaw/|title=Shaw Communications announces the death of founder JR Shaw}}

Honours

According to the History of Canadian Broadcasting, in "recognition of his excellence in business and outstanding community involvement", Shaw was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2002.{{Cite web| title = Shaw, JR |series= History of Canadian Broadcasting|first=Pip |last=Wedge|date=September 2013| access-date = January 3, 2020| url = http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/personalities/shaw-jr}} He received the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2008.{{cite web|title=JR Shaw|url=http://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=5593&t=12&ln=Shaw|website=Honours Recipients|publisher=Office of the Secretary to the Governor General of Canada|access-date=April 4, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415132712/http://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=5593&t=12&ln=Shaw|archive-date=April 15, 2016}}

Shaw received several honorary degrees, including ones from the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, and Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}}

References

Category:1934 births

Category:2020 deaths

Category:Canadian telecommunications industry businesspeople

Category:Canadian chairpersons of corporations

Category:Canadian chief executives

Category:Canadian mass media owners

Category:Members of the Alberta Order of Excellence

Category:Michigan State University alumni

Category:Officers of the Order of Canada

Category:People from Lambton County