Owen Robertson Cheatham (1902–1970) was an American businessman. He founded
Georgia-Pacific
Georgia-Pacific LLC is an American pulp and paper company based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of tissue, pulp, paper, toilet and paper towel dispensers, packaging, building products and r ...
, a formerly publicly traded corporation on the
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed c ...
from 1949 to 2005, now a subsidiary of
Koch Industries
Koch Industries, Inc. ( ) is an American privately held multinational conglomerate corporation based in Wichita, Kansas and is the second-largest privately held company in the United States, after Cargill. Its subsidiaries are involved in th ...
.
Biography
Early life
Owen Robertson Cheatham was born on July 9, 1902, in
Concord, Campbell County, Virginia
Concord is a census-designated place (CDP) in Appomattox and Campbell counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population as of the 2010 census was 1,458.Harvard Business School /ref> He attended New Concord Presbyterian Church in Concord.
Career
In 1927, he founded the Georgia Hardwood Lumber Co., (now known as
Georgia-Pacific
Georgia-Pacific LLC is an American pulp and paper company based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of tissue, pulp, paper, toilet and paper towel dispensers, packaging, building products and r ...
), a wholesaler of hardwood lumber headquartered in
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...
.Georgia Pacific: History: 80 Years of Achievement /ref> /ref>New Georgia Encyclopedia /ref> It was a publicly traded corporation on the
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed c ...
from 1949 to 2005. Under his tenure, it became a $750 million enterprise with a $1 billion+ asset base. It is now a subsidiary of
Koch Industries
Koch Industries, Inc. ( ) is an American privately held multinational conglomerate corporation based in Wichita, Kansas and is the second-largest privately held company in the United States, after Cargill. Its subsidiaries are involved in th ...
.
Personal life
He was married to Celeste Wickliffe Cheatham.Rita Reif 'Auctions' ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', June 6, 1986 She collected thirty-seven pieces of Dalí-Jewels, which were exhibited at the
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, or VMFA, is an art museum in Richmond, Virginia, United States, which opened in 1936. The museum is owned and operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Private donations, endowments, and funds are used for the su ...
in
Richmond, Virginia
(Thus do we reach the stars)
, image_map =
, mapsize = 250 px
, map_caption = Location within Virginia
, pushpin_map = Virginia#USA
, pushpin_label = Richmond
, pushpin_m ...
after her death. He died on October 24, 1970. He was buried in the New Concord Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
Legacy
The Owen R. Cheatham Memorial Garden and Monument on the grounds of the New Concord Presbyterian Church in Concord, Virginia, is named after him. The dedication of the garden took place on Sunday June 3, 1973.
The Owen Robertson Cheatham Gallery at
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...
in
Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover is a town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university Dartmouth College, the U.S. Army Corps of Eng ...
is named in his honor.
Cheatham Grove, a stand of old growth Redwood trees in California's
Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park
Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park is a state park of California, United States, harboring groves of coast redwoods in three separate units along the Van Duzen River. It is located south of Eureka, California, then another east of Fortuna on S ...
, is named for him. The land, part of Georgia Pacific's larger timber holdings in the area, was donated to the state by Owen Cheatham in 1945.Grizzly Creek Redwoods State Park /ref>