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Gus Stavros

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Gus Stavros
Born(1925-02-01)February 1, 1925
New Jersey, U.S.
DiedOctober 18, 2022(2022-10-18) (aged 97)
EducationColumbia University
Spouse
Frances Shaw
​
​
(m. 1948; died 2017)​
Children3

Gus A. Stavros (February 1, 1925 – October 18, 2022) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He founded the company Better Business Forms in the 1960s and later sold it. He founded the Stavros Institute and was a founding chairman of the Pinellas Education Foundation to improve the quality of local public education. He also served on the board of trustees of the University of South Florida and the governing board of USF St. Petersburg. He was also a part-owner of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team.

Early life

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Stavros was born in New Jersey on February 1, 1925.[1][2] His father, Anthony, was originally from Crete and immigrated to the United States in 1912, eventually owning his own diners; his mother, Elizabeth Kourasmenos, was also a Greek émigré who oversaw the cash register at her husband's business.[3][4] Stavros worked at his father's Twin Diner in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in his youth.[2] He was awarded a scholarship to study at Columbia University, which he did for one year before joining the US Army in 1942.[3] He subsequently served on the Western Front, receiving a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star Medal after being wounded on January 19, 1945.[4][3] This resulted in him being unable to use his left hand.[3][5]

Upon his return from military service, Stavros resumed his studies at Columbia and graduated with a degree in liberal arts in 1948.[3] He also appeared as a background extra in the 1947 film The Farmer's Daughter.[6]

Career

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Stavros founded the company Better Business Forms in Pinellas Park during the 1960s. It eventually expanded from 3 to 550 employees, and he later sold it in 1984 for $12.5 million.[6][4]

Stavros was also the founder of the Stavros Institute in Largo and was a founding chairman of the Pinellas Education Foundation, two organizations whose aims are to improve the quality of public education in Pinellas County, Florida. The organizations, which operate the business education programs Enterprise Village and Finance Park, have raised over $140 million to support students and teachers in Pinellas County.[7]

Stavros was the chairman of the University of South Florida (USF) Foundation and served on the school's board of trustees until January 2003, when he was appointed to the governing board of USF St. Petersburg.[8] During his tenure, Stavros called for security to be upgraded across public campuses in Florida, in response to shootings at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech.[9][10] He was also critical of the inability of the state's university system – which had the worst student-to-faculty ratio in the country at the time – to entice elite faculty due to a lack of funding, stating that "we have to have quality faculty, professors, we have to raise tuition".[11]

Stavros was also a fan of baseball, and owned 1% of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team.[6] His term on the Florida Board of Governors expired in January 2013,[12] around the time when Stavros made the decision to spend more time with his wife than on community affairs.[6]

Personal life

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Stavros married Frances Shaw in 1948.[1][3] They met at a bowling alley when he was a high school senior,[2][3] and remained married for almost 69 years until her death in 2017.[13] Together, they had three children: Ellen, Paul and Mark.[1][13] They relocated to Pinellas County, Florida, in 1958.[1]

Stavros died on October 18, 2022, at the age of 97.[1][2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Kennedy Wynne, Sharon (October 21, 2022). "Gus Stavros, prominent education philanthropist, dies at 97". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "A Tribute to Gus Stavros". University of South Florida. October 21, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Bennett, Lennie (March 8, 1998). "Couple relish giving away millions". St. Petersburg Times. p. 1. ProQuest 263280293. Retrieved October 22, 2022 – via ProQuest.
  4. ^ a b c Art Levy (November 1, 2007). "Icon: Gus Stavros". Florida Trend. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  5. ^ Klein, Barry (December 20, 2001). "USF to dismiss Al-Arian". Tampa Bay Times. p. 1A. ProQuest 263687283. Retrieved October 22, 2022 – via ProQuest.
  6. ^ a b c d Robert Trigaux (September 15, 2012). "In stepping back, legendary philanthropist Gus Stavros leaves a void". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  7. ^ "About Us". Pinellaseducation.org. Pinellas Education Foundation. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  8. ^ "USF St. Petersburg gains board member". St. Petersburg Times. January 23, 2003. p. 3B. ProQuest 263828058. Retrieved October 22, 2022 – via ProQuest.
  9. ^ Taylor, Angeline J. (March 28, 2008). "BOG: Campus security a 'must'". Tallahassee Democrat. p. A3. ProQuest 442352007. Retrieved October 22, 2022 – via ProQuest.
  10. ^ "Colleges seek more money for safety". The Gainesville Sun. March 28, 2008. ProQuest 390298962. Retrieved October 22, 2022 – via ProQuest.
  11. ^ "Tuition rate increase approved". The Gainesville Sun. January 24, 2008. ProQuest 390537799. Retrieved October 22, 2022 – via ProQuest.
  12. ^ "New appointments to university Board of Governors expected today". Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. January 9, 2013. ProQuest 1268697051. Retrieved October 22, 2022 – via ProQuest.
  13. ^ a b Kumar, Divya (February 17, 2017). "She was Half of the Perfect Pair: After taking care of family and business, Frances and Gus Stavros helped others. Many others". Tampa Bay Times. p. 1. ProQuest 1869134734. Retrieved October 22, 2022 – via ProQuest.
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