John R. Hall

John R. Hall, a trustee since 1987, graduated magna cum laude with an engineering degree from Vanderbilt University in 1955.  He was co-captain of the 1954 football team and was named Academic All-American.

After serving in the military and spending a short period with Exxon Corporation, he joined Ashland Inc. in 1957 as a chemical engineer.  He became a vice president in 1966, a director in 1968, and president of Ashland Chemical Company in 1971.  In 1974, he was elected executive vice president of Ashland Inc.  In September 1981, he was elected chairman and chief executive officer.  He retired from the position of chief executive officer in September 1996 and from the position of chairman of the board in January 1997.  He served for multi-year periods as a director of Bank One Corporation, CSX Corporation, GrafTech International, United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC), and Humana Inc. until reaching the mandatory retirement age for these boards.

Mr. Hall is a member of the Vanderbilt School of Engineering Committee of visitors and serves on the board of curators of Transylvania University.  He is currently chairman of the Commonwealth Fund for Kentucky Education Television and President of the Kentucky Historical Society Foundation.  He is past chairman of the Blue Grass Community Foundation and Leadership Kentucky and past president of the Markey Cancer Foundation.  He is a past chairman and counselor-for-life of The Conference Board.  He served as Kentucky’s chairman for the United States Olympic committee from 1987 to 1997.  He also served as chairman of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust from 1995 to 1999.  He was elected to the Verizon Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 2001.

He is married to Donna Stauffer Hall and they have one son, John L. Hall.