Background
McCormick, William Paul was born on August 18, 1939 in Providence.
McCormick, William Paul was born on August 18, 1939 in Providence.
McCormick attended Roger Williams University and Boston University while serving in the United States Army Reserve Military Police until he was honorably discharged in 1963.
He served as the United States ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa from October 21, 2005 until January 10, 2009. He then moved to northern California and worked in the brokerage office of Connecticut General Life Insurance Companyin San Francisco until 1965. lieutenant was at this time that he became a partner in the Refectory Steak House Restaurant chain.
By the early 1970s McCormick had moved further north to Portland, Oregon, and sold his interest in the Refectory Restaurants.
In 1974 he purchased the restaurant Jake"s Famous Crawfish and within the year had partnered with Doug Schmick. While growing the restaurant company, he attended the Harvard Business School, Executive Management Program, in 1979.
There are 90 McCormick & Schmick"s Seafood Restaurants in 24 states employing over 8,000 people. The company went public in July 2004 and is traded on the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation. McCormick currently serves as Chairman Emeritus.
Throughout his business career McCormick’s civic and charitable involvement was far-reaching.
Foreign example, he has provided thousands of pounds of food for the Pasadena, California, food bank and 11,000 books for disadvantaged children in Los Angeles County. He began the Shamrock Run twenty-seven years ago for the benefit of many service organizations in Portland, Oregon. Each year McCormick & Schmick Seafood Restaurants provides over 17,000 complimentary meals to veterans visiting any McCormick & Schmick Restaurant on Veterans Day.
As co-chair of the Portland Opera Foundation, he was successful in raising $24 million to help sustain that organization in the future.
Under President George West. Bush, McCormick served on the President"s Committee of the Arts & Humanities, whose Honorary Chairman is First Lady of the United States, then Laura Bush.
Married Gail McCormick. 6 children.