Roll Call Tribute
Jerome Eppler '46 January 7, 2016 1:26 PM updated: January 7, 2016 1:29 PM
Horan & McConaty - Colorado obituary
1091 S. Colorado Blvd.
Denver, CO US 80246
Jerome C. Eppler
March 16, 1924 - December 16, 2015
Resided in Denver, CO
Jerome Cannon Eppler ("Jerry") lived an extraordinary life. Jerry was an investment professional, working in Wall Street and across corporate America in a career that spanned more than 60 years. He was a market fundamentalist who was involved in creating and managing wealth for a number of America's preeminent families which provided the basis for a career in board and corporate governance and value creation for shareholders. He worked across the entire corporate landscape, from transportation, diversified industry, consumer products, finance and entertainment. He was an active philanthropist.
Jerry was born on March 16, 1924 in Englewood, New Jersey, to William E. and Aileen V. Eppler and was a 50 year resident of Morris county. He was educated at the Peck School and Berkshire School. As WWII commenced, Jerry initially enrolled at Texas A&M University as a student in engineering but enlisted in the United States Navy and was assigned to the Navy's first V-1 program (precursor to ROTC) where he continued his engineering studies at Rice University. Upon receipt of his commission he served on the USS La Porte and following cessation of hostilities served on Admiral Denfield's staff in Washington, D.C.
Jerry attended the Wharton school of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a Masters of Business Administration in 1949. Jerry would remain active with Wharton throughout his career and served as the first head of Wharton's Alumni Association. He began his career in Texas, as head of the Houston office for the Equitable Securities Company (now American Express), where he established a wide range of business relationships that would provide a platform for his work in finance over the next decades.
Jerry moved from Texas to New Jersey in 1952 to join the brokerage firm of Cyrus J. Lawrence & Sons as their youngest partner. A lifelong student of financial analysis and investment theory, Jerry, together with Jeremey C. Jenks were among the founders of the New York Society of Security Analysts. His practice in Wall Street would build many long term close personal relationships including Dick Dawkins, founder of Faulkner, Dawkins & Sullivan, (later DLJ) and Gus Levy of Goldman Sachs, among many others. His activities at Cyrus J. Lawrence & Sons also helped establish his reputation in U.S. business. Jerry played a role in supporting Robert O. Young's establishment of the New York Central Railroad and later as a director of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (1965-1969) and Swift & Company (later Esmark Inc., 1965-1990).
In 1961 Jerry created Eppler & Company as a private, independent advisory and investment firm focused on managing portfolio assets for a number of family groups including the Bass and Richardson families of Wichita Falls, the Harrington family of Amarillo, the Murchison family of Dallas, and the Vickers family of Wichita and Denver. Eppler & Company advised its clients on both control and non-control investments in numerous public and private companies, including venture capital investments, leveraged buyouts and proxy contests as an activist investor in an era when many of these investment strategies were not widely considered. Jerry and Jack A. Vickers, Jr., in particular, would enjoy a long and close personal and professional relationship. Jerry served as a trustee of the Vickers Family Trusts, as a director of Vickers Petroleum Company and worked with Jack on myriad business ventures including the development of the Castle Pines Golf Club in Colorado.
Through his work at Eppler & Company and in support of his client's activities Jerry was to play a leading role in the corporate management and governance of some of America's major companies, spanning a broad range of industries and situations. In the transportation sector, in addition to his efforts in the railroad industry, Jerry helped to found US Airways through the acquisition of regional carriers including Mohawk Airlines and Lake Central Airlines. Jerry was a longstanding director of Swift & Company and had an important role in the transformation of Swift into Esmark, Inc. creating one of America's leading conglomerates with a business portfolio that included: Swift Meats, International Playtex, Avis Rent a Car, Vickers Energy and Trans Ocean Oil. Jerry was a director of Recognition Equipment Company, inventor of the bar code and digital reading technology as well as Tessco Technologies Inc. a major electronics distribution company (1982-2007). In finance, Jerry was Chairman and CEO of ISI Corporation (1967-1977), owner of the Life Insurance Company of California (inventor of the Universal Life insurance product), Windsor Life (U.K), and World Wide Life Assurance Co. (U.K.) which, together, were later sold to EF Hutton. Jerry was a long serving director of Telecredit Inc. the creator of the credit card (today Equifax)and was a director of the First National Iron Bank of Morristown New Jersey. Jerry was a limited partner of Alex Brown & Sons (Baltimore, Md. 1982-1984) and a principal in Olympic Capital Partners, a Seattle based investment group (1995-2000). In the entertainment world, Jerry was the chairman of United Screen Arts from 1966-1973, which had the distinction of helping launch the careers of Raquel Welsh, and the Bee Gees and others.
In addition to his corporate efforts, Jerry found time to be active in philanthropy, particularly supporting education and the arts. In addition to his work with the Alumni Association at Wharton (1972-1986) and the New York Society of Security Analysts he was a lifelong supporter of Middlebury College in Vermont and served as a trustee of Drew University (Madison, NJ, 1966-1967). He was a longtime board member of the Morris Museum of Arts and Sciences (Morristown, NJ, 1954-1976) and served on the Board of the Metropolitan Opera Association (NYC, 1980-1982). Jerry was a member of the Industrial Advisory Committee of the University of California (San Diego, 1978-1993) and served on the Board of the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation (La Jolla, Ca.). In his later years he was the founding Chairman of the Global Leadership Council in the College of Business at Colorado State University, serving as its first Chairman (2002-2004) and as a member (2002-2012).
Jerry relocated from New Jersey to southern California from 1974-1980 to follow his business activities there and later moved to Colorado to be closer to family and friends. Always socially active, Jerry was a longtime member of the Union League Club in New York, the Morristown Club (NJ) and the Castle Pines Golf Club.
Jerry will be remembered by his many friends, and family, as a quintessential venture capitalist with a keen business vision and strong entrepreneurial spirit. A champion of free-market thinking and action, he was a strong supporter of other creative and energetic leaders. He made, and kept friends. He empowered and encouraged others throughout his life, who will provide an ongoing legacy to his life and contributions.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Debora Nye Eppler, his five children (Stephen, Randy, Margaret, Elizabeth Vidmar and Edward), eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He will be laid to rest in a family plot in Mendham, New Jersey.
Share your memoriews of Jerry by visiting the guestbook link. - See more at: http://www.horanandmcconaty.com/obituary/Jerome-C.-Eppler/Denver-CO/1572111#sthash.UdDyXBN5.dpuf
1091 S. Colorado Blvd.
Denver, CO US 80246
Jerome C. Eppler
March 16, 1924 - December 16, 2015
Resided in Denver, CO
Jerome Cannon Eppler ("Jerry") lived an extraordinary life. Jerry was an investment professional, working in Wall Street and across corporate America in a career that spanned more than 60 years. He was a market fundamentalist who was involved in creating and managing wealth for a number of America's preeminent families which provided the basis for a career in board and corporate governance and value creation for shareholders. He worked across the entire corporate landscape, from transportation, diversified industry, consumer products, finance and entertainment. He was an active philanthropist.
Jerry was born on March 16, 1924 in Englewood, New Jersey, to William E. and Aileen V. Eppler and was a 50 year resident of Morris county. He was educated at the Peck School and Berkshire School. As WWII commenced, Jerry initially enrolled at Texas A&M University as a student in engineering but enlisted in the United States Navy and was assigned to the Navy's first V-1 program (precursor to ROTC) where he continued his engineering studies at Rice University. Upon receipt of his commission he served on the USS La Porte and following cessation of hostilities served on Admiral Denfield's staff in Washington, D.C.
Jerry attended the Wharton school of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a Masters of Business Administration in 1949. Jerry would remain active with Wharton throughout his career and served as the first head of Wharton's Alumni Association. He began his career in Texas, as head of the Houston office for the Equitable Securities Company (now American Express), where he established a wide range of business relationships that would provide a platform for his work in finance over the next decades.
Jerry moved from Texas to New Jersey in 1952 to join the brokerage firm of Cyrus J. Lawrence & Sons as their youngest partner. A lifelong student of financial analysis and investment theory, Jerry, together with Jeremey C. Jenks were among the founders of the New York Society of Security Analysts. His practice in Wall Street would build many long term close personal relationships including Dick Dawkins, founder of Faulkner, Dawkins & Sullivan, (later DLJ) and Gus Levy of Goldman Sachs, among many others. His activities at Cyrus J. Lawrence & Sons also helped establish his reputation in U.S. business. Jerry played a role in supporting Robert O. Young's establishment of the New York Central Railroad and later as a director of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (1965-1969) and Swift & Company (later Esmark Inc., 1965-1990).
In 1961 Jerry created Eppler & Company as a private, independent advisory and investment firm focused on managing portfolio assets for a number of family groups including the Bass and Richardson families of Wichita Falls, the Harrington family of Amarillo, the Murchison family of Dallas, and the Vickers family of Wichita and Denver. Eppler & Company advised its clients on both control and non-control investments in numerous public and private companies, including venture capital investments, leveraged buyouts and proxy contests as an activist investor in an era when many of these investment strategies were not widely considered. Jerry and Jack A. Vickers, Jr., in particular, would enjoy a long and close personal and professional relationship. Jerry served as a trustee of the Vickers Family Trusts, as a director of Vickers Petroleum Company and worked with Jack on myriad business ventures including the development of the Castle Pines Golf Club in Colorado.
Through his work at Eppler & Company and in support of his client's activities Jerry was to play a leading role in the corporate management and governance of some of America's major companies, spanning a broad range of industries and situations. In the transportation sector, in addition to his efforts in the railroad industry, Jerry helped to found US Airways through the acquisition of regional carriers including Mohawk Airlines and Lake Central Airlines. Jerry was a longstanding director of Swift & Company and had an important role in the transformation of Swift into Esmark, Inc. creating one of America's leading conglomerates with a business portfolio that included: Swift Meats, International Playtex, Avis Rent a Car, Vickers Energy and Trans Ocean Oil. Jerry was a director of Recognition Equipment Company, inventor of the bar code and digital reading technology as well as Tessco Technologies Inc. a major electronics distribution company (1982-2007). In finance, Jerry was Chairman and CEO of ISI Corporation (1967-1977), owner of the Life Insurance Company of California (inventor of the Universal Life insurance product), Windsor Life (U.K), and World Wide Life Assurance Co. (U.K.) which, together, were later sold to EF Hutton. Jerry was a long serving director of Telecredit Inc. the creator of the credit card (today Equifax)and was a director of the First National Iron Bank of Morristown New Jersey. Jerry was a limited partner of Alex Brown & Sons (Baltimore, Md. 1982-1984) and a principal in Olympic Capital Partners, a Seattle based investment group (1995-2000). In the entertainment world, Jerry was the chairman of United Screen Arts from 1966-1973, which had the distinction of helping launch the careers of Raquel Welsh, and the Bee Gees and others.
In addition to his corporate efforts, Jerry found time to be active in philanthropy, particularly supporting education and the arts. In addition to his work with the Alumni Association at Wharton (1972-1986) and the New York Society of Security Analysts he was a lifelong supporter of Middlebury College in Vermont and served as a trustee of Drew University (Madison, NJ, 1966-1967). He was a longtime board member of the Morris Museum of Arts and Sciences (Morristown, NJ, 1954-1976) and served on the Board of the Metropolitan Opera Association (NYC, 1980-1982). Jerry was a member of the Industrial Advisory Committee of the University of California (San Diego, 1978-1993) and served on the Board of the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation (La Jolla, Ca.). In his later years he was the founding Chairman of the Global Leadership Council in the College of Business at Colorado State University, serving as its first Chairman (2002-2004) and as a member (2002-2012).
Jerry relocated from New Jersey to southern California from 1974-1980 to follow his business activities there and later moved to Colorado to be closer to family and friends. Always socially active, Jerry was a longtime member of the Union League Club in New York, the Morristown Club (NJ) and the Castle Pines Golf Club.
Jerry will be remembered by his many friends, and family, as a quintessential venture capitalist with a keen business vision and strong entrepreneurial spirit. A champion of free-market thinking and action, he was a strong supporter of other creative and energetic leaders. He made, and kept friends. He empowered and encouraged others throughout his life, who will provide an ongoing legacy to his life and contributions.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Debora Nye Eppler, his five children (Stephen, Randy, Margaret, Elizabeth Vidmar and Edward), eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He will be laid to rest in a family plot in Mendham, New Jersey.
Share your memoriews of Jerry by visiting the guestbook link. - See more at: http://www.horanandmcconaty.com/obituary/Jerome-C.-Eppler/Denver-CO/1572111#sthash.UdDyXBN5.dpuf
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