Robert J. Schlegel

Robert J. Schlegel was raised on a small farm in rural Ontario. His parents were from a Mennonite religious heritage, and his relatives had been farming in Canada since the early 1800s. Resources were limited, but his loving parents were always quick to share with others in need.

Schlegel attended elementary school in a rural, one-room schoolhouse. He arrived on his first day of classes in a body cast because of a broken neck from a farm accident. When Schlegel was in the second grade, his family's home burned down. The following year, he was severely mauled by two Great Danes. His brother rescued him, but Schlegel's convalescence included multiple stitches and an extensive hospital stay.

At a young age, Schlegel demonstrated his entrepreneurial spirit by selling garden seeds, jackknives, and first-aid kits to neighbors. At the age of 13, he purchased a Pepsi machine with a loan guaranteed by his father. He had the machine installed at the local equipment repair shop. After struggling through 10th grade, Schlegel considered dropping out to become an auto mechanic. However, his mother and guidance counselor, noting his math and accounting skills, encouraged him to persevere.

Schlegel was the first member of his family to attend college. To pay his way, he lived at home and worked on the family farm as a mechanic. In 1972, he graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a bachelor's degree in economics and soon thereafter married his high school sweetheart, Myrna, who had just earned a registered nursing degree. Both later received honorary doctorate degrees from Wilfrid Laurier University.

Schlegel began his accounting career at Peat Marwick & Mitchell. After passing the certified public accounting exams and completing the mandatory three-year internship, he started his own accounting firm. Five years later, Schlegel sold his business and home to put a down payment on two small nursing and retirement centers in Texas. For almost six years, the family commuted between Dallas and Toronto before relocating to Dallas in 1985. Their business ultimately expanded to include 15 centers with 2,200 beds and more than 2,000 employees. Fifteen years later, the Schlegels sold their company and started a charitable foundation.

In 1980, Schlegel and a partner launched Pavestone Company, a manufacturer of concrete landscape products. The venture initially prospered but later suffered during the real estate, oil, and banking slumps of the late 1980s. His partner left the company, but Schlegel fought to keep it going. The business rebounded and became the nation's leading supplier of concrete landscaping products.

In 1994, Robert and Myrna Schlegel established the Schlegel Horizon Foundation to promote education and entrepreneurship. The foundation financed construction of a Christian high school in Dallas as well as campaigns benefiting Southern Methodist University (SMU) and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. They also established the Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University. Schlegel supports the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), the Salvation Army, the Cox School of Business at SMU, and the Library of Congress's James Madison Council, among other causes. The Schlegel family's philosophy has always been this: "To whom much has been given, much will be required."

Schlegel's numerous awards and honors include the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the Tom Landry Award for Excellence and Volunteerism, the Outstanding Philanthropist Award for 2002 from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and his induction into the Texas Philanthropy Hall of Fame in 2002. However, Schlegel considers his greatest honor being recognized in 2002 as Dallas's "Father of the Year."