Kemmons Wilson

"Innkeeper to the Campus"
The University of Memphis
Magazine
Fall 1999

Kemmons Wilson built an empire that transformed the texture of America and affected the lives of millions. He has visited with presidents and princes and a pope. His face has been splashed across the cover of Time magazine and he has been dubbed one of the century's most influential people by the London Sunday Times. His awards and accomplishments are legendary.

But now he's 86. He's slowing down, luxuriating in his retirement, right? Not on your life.

Kemmons Wilson is building a school.

Construction of a Gift

Most philanthropists donate money and then direct its use; but Wilson-the founder of Holiday Inn-is doing what he does best: constructing a hotel. From working with University planners to designing the building; from hiring contractors to buying the bricks, Wilson is running the show. Pass by the dusty construction site on the corner of Deloach and Central in the early morning, and Wilson may well be present, making his daily progress check. Visit his office, and piles of architectural drawings are spread across the conference table. Talk to him, and his eyes gleam with enthusiasm about the Wilson School, his latest building project. And when that gleaming edifice is completed next year, Wilson will donate the $15 million structure to The University of Memphis.

"I've lived all my life around the corner from the University," says Wilson, a high school dropout and self taught businessman, "and I wanted to do something to help the city. I thought about it and decided I should give this to The U of M. So I went over and told the president what I wanted to do."

As a result of his meetings with Dr. V. Lane Rawlins, Wilson agreed to build a hotel where students can learn firsthand the rudiments of hospitality and resort management. The structure will contain 80 suites, plus presidential and governor's suites; a banquet room that will accommodate 1,000 diners; exercise facilities; a restaurant; classrooms and instructional labs; and administrative offices. Wilson's massive building will be a training ground for students pursuing the Bachelor of Business Administration degree in hospitality and resort management (HRM). "I ride by there every day, and I think it will be something that will be good for Memphis and The University of Memphis," says Wilson.

"Mr. Wilson's generosity will allow the University to initiate a program that we've wanted to establish for some time," says Rawlins. "It's a natural component for The U of M because of the high concentration of lodging industry leaders in this region."

Meeting the Need

The Wilson School is much more than a building; it is a program that will benefit the hospitality industry and the region's economy, while providing a new educational niche for The University of Memphis. One of the nation's fastest growing business sectors, the hospitality industry employs thousands of workers in the Memphis area alone. "Our research indicates there are going to be 3,600 new jobs in this industry in Shelby and Fayette counties in the next five years," says Dr. Donna Randall, interim senior vice provost for academic affairs. "There's tremendous demand for skilled workers."

And salaries for those workers are escalating. The National Restaurant Association reports an 8.3 percent increase every year in salaries of mid-level hospitality managers, more than double the growth for other managerial professions. The University of Memphis' HRM majors may anticipate a favorable job market, with salaries averaging $40,000. "It wasn't a high-paying job back when I started," recalls Wilson of his career. "But today there are plenty of hotel managers who make $150,000 a year."

The Business of Education

The University of Memphis' hospitality and resort management program will be one of only a few in the United States established with an on-site hotel facility.

Most of the nation's hospitality programs are situated outside a business school in such areas as home economics, education or the natural sciences; but The U of M's Wilson School will be located in the Fogelman College of Business and Education. "For people to succeed in this industry, they need to understand the fundamentals of business," Randall says. HRM students will take core courses in economics, finance, accounting, management, marketing and business law, but they will also enroll in classes that specialize in the hospitality industry.

Interdisciplinary in nature, the program will offer a wide range of electives. Because entertainment and food services are integral to the hospitality industry, students may study performing arts in the College of Communication and Fine Arts or nutrition in the Consumer Science and Education Department. "Many areas come under the rubric of hospitality and resort management and we want our students to be able specialize," explains Dr. Robert Taylor, a business professor. "For instance, people who want to become sports agents or run spas will take related courses in Human Movement Sciences and Education. We will also work closely with the people in the theatre and fine arts areas to accommodate students who may want to manage entertainers or set up tours and concerts."

Taylor says HRM students will also profit from Fogelman College's other offerings. "One of the things that makes us different is that our students will be exposed to our executive education programs, our Emerging Technologly Compex, our Wang Center for International Business," Taylor says. "We also envision linkages between the hospitality program and our new e-commerce program. How better to market your hotel facility than through electronic commerce?"

Industry recruiters are actively seeking employees who have a combination of business acumen and work experience. Graduates of The University of Memphis will have both, says Taylor, who spearheaded the effort to place HRM in the Fogelman College. "We will have a required internship program," says Taylor.

"Many of our students will be able to get their practicum experience right here on campus. They will provide a major part of the staffing at the hotel. Students working as interns will provide much of the management information system work and the front desk work. Working closely with our Wang Center for International Business, we will likely provide international internship opportunities and exchanges as well."

Plugged Into Technology

One of the most exciting aspects of the HRM program may be its technological component. "We're going to graduate students who not only have skills that the hospitality industry seeks, but who will be able to use technology and understand technology. That's not typical for graduates of other hospitality programs," Randall says. Dr. O'Neal Smitherman, executive assistant to the president for planning and projects, says HRM graduates will be more savvy about technology than their employers will be. "We are going to provide cutting-edge training on how to best use technology," he says. "Our students will be the industry's leaders, with respect to using technology effectively."

University planners say the Wilson facility will incorporate the latest technological advances into every lab and hotel suite. The entire facility will be wired with Internet, high-speed networking and wireless capabilities. Because of its proximity and connection to the new FedEx Emerging Technology Complex, the building will be heavily used by people attending campus seminars and conferences. "CEOs who spend their day learning about technology at the Emerging Technology Complex shouldn't lose that impetus when they're staying in our hotel," says Smitherman. "If they wake up at 2 o'clock in the morning and have ideas or questions they want to ask, we want them to have access to a computer right then. We are going to integrate technology into the way people think about using this hotel.

"Not only will it be a hotel, but it will provide a very tightly connected relationship with the University," Smitherman continues. "People staying here will have access to students, but also to all faculty and staff associated with The University of Memphis. We'll constantly be doing the next thing in the hospitality business, and our full intention is to learn and promote and anticipate the newest and most important aspects of hospitality management."

The Legacy Continues

In its determination to identify and anticipate hospitality trends, the Wilson School will emulate its namesake, an innovator and visionary whose accomplishments are legendary. To augment his mother's meager income, Kemmons Wilson began working at the tender age of 6, later dropping out of high school to pursue entrepreneurial projects full time. By gut instinct and determination, he built the world's most popular lodging chain. But-ever mindful of trends-Wilson knows that today's students must combine tenacity with a quality education to succeed.

Unlike their self-taught benefactor, future generations of students will have the advantages afforded by a state-of-the-art education in a high-tech facility. And someday, one of those University of Memphis students may-like Wilson-revolutionize the field.