jerry buss chemistry

 

It’s almost unfortunate but it drives me. The Lazers also played in The Forum. D. is granted the title "Doctor", even if the degree is not in a medical field. Buss originally went to invest in real estate in order to provide an income so he could continue teaching. His first investment in the 1960s was $1,000 in a West Los Angeles apartment building. Before making his fortune Jerry Buss earned a doctorate in physical chemistry--an area in which the Lakers have long excelled. In almost daily contact with all six of his children who play pivotal roles in the Lakers organization, he said, “It is unusual for someone with six kids to talk with their children as often as I do, but since they are intimately involved in the Lakers organization, we have this in common and I feel very lucky.”, But when it comes to his success, luck is not the main driver. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days. In 2002, when the WNBA was restructured to provide its groups particular person homeowners, Buss took possession of the Sparks. In the ’60s, Buss made the first of a string of smart investments in West Los Angeles real estate through the purchase of an apartment building with five friends for $6,000. He moved to Los Angeles and attended the University of Southern California, where he earned a … Jerry Buss is being eulogized as the owner of the Lakers and one of, if not the greatest sports owner of all time. Jerry Buss (Ph.D., chemistry, '57) is the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers. degree in two and a half years in 1953. For most men, such a swift and impressive rise would have been enough to savor for a lifetime. There doesn’t seem to be very much written about Jerry Buss … 1964). 1959), Jeanie (b. [17], On May 29, 2007, Buss was issued a citation for driving under the influence after two California Highway Patrol officers saw him driving his gold Mercedes-Benz on the wrong side of the road in the coastal community of Carlsbad in northern San Diego County, with a 23-year-old woman passenger. [Related: Jerry Buss' legacy from those he influenced] Buss died Monday at the age of 80. But he hadn't used that fact for decades. Jeanie, Buss’ daughter and executive vice president of business operations for the Lakers said, “My dad stands as the most winning owner of any professional league, not just basketball. When he was nine years old, he moved with his mother to Los Angeles; they moved to Kemmerer, Wyoming, three years later when she remarried. [10] Buss later sold his controlling interest in the Kings to Bruce McNall in 1988 (who made headlines that year by trading for Wayne Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers), retaining ownership of the Lakers and The Forum. He was the majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning 10 league championships that were highlighted by the team's Showtime era during the 1980s. Business California and Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1957 at the age of 24. His contributions to basketball were recognized by his induction into the BasketballHall of Fame in 2010. Buss also owned the Los Angeles Lazers of the Major Indoor Soccer League. After failing a field sobriety test, Buss was taken into custody, given a blood test, and booked on suspicion of driving while intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level over 0.08. [2] During his time as Lakers owner, Buss was widely known as a playboy and had a string of young girlfriends. [1] When he was nine years old, he moved with his mother to Los Angeles; they moved to Kemmerer, Wyoming, three years later when she remarried. Buss additionally owned the Los Angeles Lazers of the Major Indoor Soccer League. [14], In January 2008, Buss donated $7.5 million to USC's Department of Chemistry to fund two endowed chairs and an endowed scholarship fund for chemistry graduate students; the two chairs were to be named after his mentors at USC, Professors Sidney Benson and David Dows. [13], Buss was a high-stakes cash game poker player for many years, but later in life was more active in tournament games. Buss earned a scholarship to the University of Wyoming, graduating with a B.S. Dr. Jerry Buss (Ph.D., chemistry, '57) talks about his career. At his death, all six of his children worked in the Lakers organization. Jerry Buss received a doctorate in physical chemistry from USC but it was a $1,000 investment in a Los Angeles apartment building that ultimately sparked a career in real-estate investment. [19], In 2012, Buss was in a hospital for months with an undisclosed intestinal problem. “It’s hard to visualize me being in any other city than Los Angeles, which has it all as far as I am concerned with beaches and mountains. Later, when the WNBA was formed in 1996, Buss took charge of operating that league's Los Angeles franchise, the Los Angeles Sparks. The Lazers additionally performed in The Forum. Gerald Hatten Buss (January 27, 1933 – February 18, 2013) was an American businessman, investor, chemist, and philanthropist. He then returned to Los Angeles and attended the University of Southern California (USC), where he earned an M.S. “What he has accomplished in his 30 plus years of ownership is a phenomenon and hopefully will stand the test of time.”, Another important and much prized accolade received by Buss is a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Wyoming and, at age 24, completed his Ph.D. in chemistry at USC in 1957. Jerry Buss, a 2010 inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame, pays it forward by supporting his alma mater in the name of his mentors. The self-made millionaire with a head for business and an impresario's heart immersed himself in the NBA with every skill he acquired along the way. He moved to Los Angeles and attended the University of Southern California, where he earned a M.S. It pretty much had to be Los Angeles.”. As a testament to NBA changes through the decades, Buss said, “The first player contract I signed was for $240,000 and the last one I signed was for $25 million. Then, he was also on the faculty of USC's Buss is Hollywood and has put his stamp on Los Angeles, no question about it.”, Claiming to be in semi-retirement now, Buss is busier than ever. He had a PhD in Chemistry. [12] Buss received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement in 1983. [2], Buss' marriage to the former JoAnn Mueller ended in divorce in 1972 after having four children: Johnny (b. Jerry had been a Loyal customer of ours since we opened the doors in 1994. He then reached a major advertising agreement with Great Western Bank for the naming rights to The Forum, resulting in the official name of the building being changed to the Great Western Forum. Los Angeles, the Lakers and USC: it’s a formidable triangle defense, by any measure. Born in Salt Lake City, Buss was raised by his divorced mother, Jessie. In January 2008, Buss donated USD 7 million to fund two endowed chairs and an endowed scholarship fund for USC’s chemistry graduate students. Buss began his career as a chemist in the Great mentoring is another quintessential gift of education that keeps on giving, said Buss. Rather, he had used his natural talent in understanding and using Human Chemistry, not Physical Chemistry. According to NBA Commissioner David Stern, “He has owned the team 31 years and they have been in the NBA Finals 16 times — luck doesn’t last that long.”. By the age of 24, Buss, always on the fast track, had earned an M.S. While studying at USC, Buss encountered two more influential mentors who recognized his talent and intelligence: USC Dornsife professors of chemistry Sydney Benson and David Dows. degree in two and a half years in 1953. [21] On February 14, 2013, four days before his death, it was revealed that Buss had been battling cancer since 2012. Any person who earns a Ph. Jerry Buss had been a chemist and a mathematician long before he bought the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979. He paid $67.5 million to buy the Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke in a deal that included the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League, the Forum sports arena in Los Angeles and Mr. Cooke’s California ranch. [3][15] Buss later had two more children with a girlfriend, Karen Demel: Joey (b. Though some people may find the storyline of the popular film Pay It Forward overly sentimental and optimistic, Buss says it is his real life experience. Jerry Buss was born in 1933, in Salt Lake City, Utah, but later in his childhood moved to Wyoming with his mother. Buss earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from USC in 1959. In 2002, when the WNBA was restructured to give its teams individual owners, Buss took ownership of the Sparks. Buss started his philanthropy career by donating some $8 million to the Buss worked his way through the University of Wyoming, graduating with a B.S. Jerry Buss [edit] Early life. Photo by Ben Baker. An educator at heart, he soon began teaching chemistry in USC Dornsife and, to support his life as a professor, began investing in L.A. property with longtime business partner Frank Mariani. The team folded in 1989 and the league folded three years later. [27] Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said "His impact is felt worldwide," and called Buss “the greatest owner in sports ever.”[28]. [26], NBA commissioner David Stern said of Buss "The NBA has lost a visionary owner whose influence on our league is incalculable and will be felt for decades to come". “I love when someone asks me where he or she should go to school and I say ’SC. “Good teachers are where the good education begins, but they are not necessarily famous teachers but are good fundamental teachers,” he said. He purchased the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA along with the Los Angeles Kings hockey team of the NHL, The Forum (all for a then-record combined $67.5 million for those three properties[9]), and a large ranch from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979, in a deal that also transferred ownership of the Chrysler Building. The group folded in 1989 and the league folded three years later. [23][24] On February 21, hundreds of friends, colleagues, and family members gathered to pay tribute to Buss in a televised memorial service at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, across from the Lakers' home court, Staples Center. (He often was referred to as "Dr." Jerry Buss.) Even with all of Buss' success as both a professor of chemistry, real estate mogul and professional sports owner, speaker after speaker credited his down-to-earth nature. “Having a doctoral degree has given me an audience I might not have enjoyed, which is also the case when someone is introduced as a graduate of USC — you gain an immediate credibility. [16] In 1990, he reached a settlement out of court in a palimony suit filed by Puppi Buss, who said that she had an on-and-off relationship with Buss for 15 years, and also alleged that he fathered her son;[17][18] details of the settlement were not revealed. He continued to buy and sell numerous properties including the Pickfair Mansion, the honeymoon home of actor Douglas Fairbanks and actress Mary Pickford. degree in two and a half years in 1953. [7], In 1974, Buss produced a movie named Black Eye starring former gridiron star Fred "the Hammer" Williamson. [20] Through his 80th birthday on January 27, 2013, he had not attended a Lakers game during the 2012–13 season due to health concerns. Buss became an owner of the Los Angeles Strings in World Team Tennis. Now they are one of the highest-rated shows on television.”, Buss firmly believes that a structured university education and a degree in the liberal arts prepare students for the workplace and to communicate effectively with others. Having grown up in the Depression-era, coal-mining badlands of Wyoming, he discovered he had a head for numbers and first wanted to be a chemistry teacher. Eventually, all three teams moved into a more modern arena in downtown Los Angeles, the Staples Center, which opened in 1999. In 1979, Jerry purchased Pickfair Mansion in Beverly Hills from the estate of Mary Pickford. When former Lakers player Walt Hazzard, then an adviser to the team, suffered a catastrophic stroke in 1996, Buss kept Hazzard on the payroll and told Hazzard's son that his father would remain a Lakers employee for as long as Buss owned the team. His best finishes included third in the 1991 World Series of Poker seven-card stud event and second place in the 2003 World Poker Tour Freeroll invitational. Jerry Buss was not only an Amazing Man but a true lover of our little Fish House in Carlsbad. Buss owned other professional sports franchises in Southern California. When it comes to Los Angeles, the Lakers and USC, Jerry Buss is either in the driver’s seat or sitting up front. [29][31] His daughter would later take over the Lakers on March 27, 2017. [2] Buss earned a scholarship to the University of Wyoming,[3] graduating with a B.S. When Hazzard died in 2011, he was still a Lakers employee. Buss also values education for the doors it has opened up in his life. [32], American businessman and real estate investor, daughter-of-lakers-owner-jerry-buss-be-the-next-to-rule-her-fathers-sports-kingdom-or-will-one-of-her-brothers-rise-to-power-a-fractured-family-fable, Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, "Lakers' Jeanie Buss: She's Got Balls - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com", Jerry Buss, Longtime Lakers Owner, Is Dead at 80, "Whether It's the L.A. Lakers or a Lovely Woman, Jerry Buss Is Interested in Champions", "Lakers Legendary Jerry Buss and His "Rags to Riches" Story Truly One of a Kind", "Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2010", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", "A Bad Fold by David Grey on Poker After Dark", Los Angeles Times: "All in the Family - If Jerry Buss has his way, the Lakers will belong to his kids" by John Ireland, Dodgers affected by Jerry Buss like no other non-NBA team, "Buss also booked for driving with BAC of 0.08 or higher", "Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash help Lakers hold on for 2nd straight win", Breaking News: Lakers Owner Jerry Buss Dying Of Cancer, "Lakers Owner Jerry Buss Dies at Age 80, Leaving Behind "Unparalleled Legacy, "Jill Painter: Lakers lose innovative owner, L.A. loses friend", "Jerry Buss Buried At Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills In Private Ceremony", "LOS ANGELES: Jerry Buss, Lakers' flamboyant owner, dies at 80", "Buss family faces crucial moment with the Lakers", "Lakers expected to remain a Buss family-owned team", "World Series of Poker invites Kobe Bryant as tribute to Jerry Buss", The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, Time Warner Cable SportsNet (Los Angeles), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jerry_Buss&oldid=1006220569, Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees, University of Southern California faculty, Women's National Basketball Association executives, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 11 February 2021, at 18:21. It was in this university where Buss earned a degree in physical chemistry. In his best-selling book Good to Great, business consultant Jim Collins advises organizations to get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off. For basketball fans everywhere, it was fortuitous that Buss and the Lakers came together. Buss was an inaugural member of the USC College Board of Councilors. and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry. [6] Finding great success in the real estate business, he, along with longtime business partner, Frank Mariani, formed real estate investment company, Mariani-Buss Associates. “Some take the job to have the ability to do research, but those who really enjoy teaching view it as a goal unto itself.”. In Wyoming, Buss studied at the University of Wyoming and later came back to Los Angeles to continue his studies in the University of Southern California. (He often was referred to as "Dr." Jerry Buss.) The Lakers were very successful under Buss' ownership, winning ten NBA championships with such players as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, and with coaches Pat Riley and Phil Jackson. ***** Gerald Hatten "Jerry" Buss, Fieldmarshal Rational, (January 27, 1933 – February 18, 2013) was an American businessman, real estate investor and chemist.