Background
Rich, Robert Edward was born on July 7, 1913 in Buffalo. Son of Paul J. and Eleanor (MacKenzie) Rich.
Rich, Robert Edward was born on July 7, 1913 in Buffalo. Son of Paul J. and Eleanor (MacKenzie) Rich.
Bachelor of Business Administration, University Buffalo, 1935. Doctor of Humane Letters, D'Youville College, 1981. Doctor of Laws (honorary), State University of New York, 1987.
During World World War II, he invented the first non-dairy whipped topping made from soybeans that could be frozen. Born in Buffalo, New York, he founded Rich Products in 1945, which had sales of $2.5 billion on more than 2,300 products in 2005, the year before he died at age 92 in Palm Beach, Florida. Rich attended Bennett High School in Buffalo, where his father owned an ice cream plant.
He received his undergraduate education from the University at Buffalo, where he was captain of both football and wrestling.
He was later inducted into the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York Athletic Hall of Fame. After borrowing money from his father, he started the Wilbur Dairy Company (later renamed the Jones-Rich Milk Company) in 1935.
The success of his cream substitute brought a series of lawsuits from the dairy industry in an effort to stop distribution of his product. Rich prevailed in every case.
At his death, he was one of the wealthiest people in the world, reportedly worth $2 billion, and his company was the largest family-owned food products company in America.
Member National Association Advanced Foods (president since 1965), Buffalo Niagara Sales and Marketing Executives (Marketing Man of Year award 1968), New England Frozen Food Institute, Southern-Southwestern Frozen Food Association, Delaware Valley Frozen FoodAssn. (honorary), Zerocrats (Distinguished member), Buffalo Club (Businessman of Year award 1966), Buffalo Canoe Club, Buffalo Country Club, Cherry Hill Country Club, Palm Beach National Golf and Country Club, Everglades Club, Beach Club, Sea Island Golf Club, Rotary.
Married Janet Webb, February 24, 1934. Children: Joanne Rich Healy, Robert Edward, David A.