Joseph Reeves Hyde III (born 1942), known as Pitt Hyde, is an American

entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values t ...

and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mo ...

. He is best known for founding

AutoZone AutoZone, Inc. is an American retailer of aftermarket automotive parts and accessories, the largest in the United States. Founded in 1979, AutoZone has over 6,400 stores across the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil and the US Virgin Is ...

as a spinoff of his family's grocery business, Malone and Hyde, in 1979. Hyde is also a part-owner of the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

. Hyde graduated from the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC S ...

with a degree in economics. He is a member of Presbyterian Church and studied in

Presbyterian Day School Presbyterian Day School (PDS) is a Christian private school for boys located at 4025 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee, 38111. It is one of the largest elementary schools for boys in the United States, enrolling 600 students in grades from two-ye ...

. Together with his wife, Barbara Rosser Hyde, Pitt runs the Hyde Family Foundation which works for the betterment of Memphis through hands-on philanthropy.

Awards and honors

*1998 Golden Plate Award of the

American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet ...

*2002 AXA Liberty Bowl Distinguished Citizen Award *2004 Automotive Hall of Fame *2007 Francis Gassner Award of the Memphis chapter of the American Institute of Architects *The Society of Entrepreneurs Hall of Honor

References

1942 births People from Memphis, Tennessee Living people American Presbyterians University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni 20th-century American businesspeople {{US-business-bio-1940s-stub