KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – On Tuesday, Hallmark shared that Donald J. Hall, 96, passed away on Oct. 13, surrounded by his family. He leaves a lasting legacy on Kansas City.
His father, J.C. Hall founded Hallmark.
Don started working at Hallmark at the age of 17, served in the army, and came back in 1953.
Don served as president and CEO of Hallmark from 1966 to 1983.
In 1983, he moved from president to chairman and in 2016, became chairman emeritus, a role he held until his passing.
Don and his father both had a vision, a city within a city, now known as Crown Center.
However, his generosity and care for Kansas City spread throughout the community.
“It was the people that mattered,” said Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Deputy Director of Design and Experience, Steve Waterman.
“KC Rep would not be who it is today serving our community in the way we do without Don Hall,” said Kansas City Repertory Theatre Artistic Director, Stuart Carden.
Don served on numerous boards over the years: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Kansas City Symphony, the Missouri Repertory Theater (later the Kansas City Repertory Theatre), the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and the Full Employment Council.
He was a key founder and helped provide funding to the Kansas City Symphony over the years.
Don leaves a lasting footprint in the Kansas City arts and his family continues that legacy.
“You’d be hard-pressed to look around the museum outside and in and not find a connection to Don Hall, to Adele Hall, to the Hall Family Foundation, or Hallmark,” said Waterman.
READ MORE: Donald Hall, longtime Hallmark chairman and Kansas City philanthropist, dies at 96
He also worked with the University of Kansas Cancer Center to get a successful designation as a National Cancer Institute and led efforts to establish the Children’s Research Institute at Children’s Mercy Hospital.
His son, David Hall shared in a statement through Hallmark:
“The quality of work that is at this theatre, the education programs, the impact that we have out in our community can all be traced back to in part to Don Hall and the impact of his philanthropy and generosity and care to the performing arts and the legacy of the Hall family foundation,” said Carden. He added, “Kansas City has something special in the way that business leaders like Don Hall have understood the value of arts and culture and made it central to the life here.”
His name and the Hall name can be found throughout the city.
“The reason that the sculpture park has his name on it is that Adele, his wife insisted on it. Otherwise he in fact did bristle that the though but she insisted,” said Waterman when talking about the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park. He added, “I think his legacy will reverberate for decades quite easily.”
A tribute site for Donald J. Hall has been established here.
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