Born in Salt Lake City, young Kay Whitmore spent his teenage years working away from home—at a fish cannery in Alaska, a dude ranch in Arizona, and a slaughterhouse in Utah. Little did those close to him know he would rise to lead Kodak, one of the world’s largest multinational corporations.
On 17 November 2006, the Marriott School named the Global Management Center for Kay and his wife, Yvonne. Nearly two hundred friends, family, and Marriott School faculty gathered at a reception and banquet to recognize the couple and pay tribute to the memory of Kay, who died 26 July 2004 from leukemia.
“Kay Whitmore was an energetic supporter of the Marriott School and a devoted mentor,” says Dean Ned C. Hill. “He personally assisted many students by reviewing their résumés, counseling them on internships, and giving valuable career guidance.”
During his thirty-six years at Kodak, Kay was a general manager over Latin America, assistant general manager of the U.S. and Canadian Photographic division, and a company vice president before becoming president in 1983 and CEO in 1990.
Kay was appointed by President George H. W. Bush to the board of directors for the New American Schools Development Corp. and was a member of the Marriott School’s National Advisory Council. Kay received numerous honorary degrees and civic awards. He and Yvonne also presided over the England London Mission and served as CES missionaries in San Diego.
A generous gift to the Marriott School from the Whitmore family will honor Kay’s legacy by helping train future leaders. The Kay and Yvonne Whitmore Global Management Center, one of the nation’s thirty-one Centers for International Business Education and Research, works to prepare students with the necessary skills to compete in a global marketplace. The center works to increase and promote the nation’s capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise.
