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{{Short description|American businessman (1920–1984)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox person
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| death_place = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], U.S.
| burial_place = [[Graceland Cemetery]]
| other_names =
| known_for = [[Bradford Exchange]]
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| children = 3, including [[John R. MacArthur]]
| parents = [[John D. MacArthur]]<br/>Louise Ingalls
| relatives = [[Charles MacArthur]] (uncle)<br/>[[Helen Hayes]] (aunt)<br/>[[James MacArthur]] (cousin)
}}
'''John Roderick MacArthur''' (December 21, 1920 – December 15, 1984) was a U.S. businessman and philanthropist in Chicago. The J. Roderick MacArthur Foundation, a philanthropic organization supporting civil rights in the United States, was established in his name.
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==Biography==
J. Roderick MacArthur, known as Rod MacArthur, was born December 21, 1920, to the former Louise Ingalls and John D. MacArthur. The couple also had a daughter, Virginia MacArthur. In
Rod MacArthur attended [[Rollins College]] in [[Florida]] and worked as a [[stringer (journalism)|stringer]] for the [[Associated Press]] in Mexico. During [[World War II]], he joined the [[AFS Intercultural Programs|American Field Service]], serving with the [[French Army]] in the ambulance corps, and he participated in the campaign that liberated [[France]].
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==Death==
Rod MacArthur died December 15, 1984, from [[pancreatic cancer]] six days before his 64th birthday. He is buried in [[Graceland Cemetery]] in Chicago. His epitaph, written in English using Greek letters, is ''ονε φοοτ ιν φαιριελανδ'' ("[[Eleanor Farjeon|one foot in fairieland]]").
==Philanthropic endeavors==
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Rod MacArthur filed two lawsuits in an effort to redirect the board and foundation. In February 1984 he sued fellow board members, charging that they were acting as executives of Bankers Life and were looking out for their own best interest and not the needs of the foundation. He alleged that the foundation was not managing its assets properly. MacArthur said that high fees were being paid to board members for their foundation work, and he believed that Bankers Life was not being managed well and had lost value. He requested that either the foundation be dissolved or that the court appoint a receiver to manage and sell Bankers Life.
After MacArthur blocked the sale of Bankers Life at $268 million, the board found a buyer that was willing to pay $384 million for the company.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.learningtogive.org/papers/index.asp?bpid=152&print=yes |title=
While still on the board of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, MacArthur pushed the Board to offer the MacArthur fellowships, also called "Genius Grants".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.959481/k.7895/Frequently_Asked_Questions.htm |title=
Second, in 1980 at the urging of his son John R. "Rick" MacArthur, then 23, the senior MacArthur persuaded the Board to partner in creating and funding a Harper's Magazine Foundation, in order to acquire and operate ''[[Harper's Magazine]]'', which had been struggling financially. This new entity acquired ''[[Harper's Magazine]]'' (which was then losing nearly $2 million per year and was on the verge of ceasing publication) for $250,000. Rick (now called Roderick) MacArthur eventually took over the foundation that owned ''Harper's''.
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==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060928174115/http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.959481/k.7895/Frequently_Asked_Questions.htm John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Website noting J. Roderick' MacArthur's role in the Genius Grant's]
*[http://www.winstonbrill.com/bril001/html/article_index/articles/1-50/article23_body.html Independent Article about the founding of the Genius Grants] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061109061015/http://www.winstonbrill.com/bril001/html/article_index/articles/1-50/article23_body.html |date=November 9, 2006 }}, Winston Brill
*[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE2D71638F937A35755C0A96F948260/ letter to the Editor of the New York Times by MacArthur's Lawyer regarding the Law suits]
*[http://www.law.northwestern.edu/macarthur/ Website of the Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center]
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[[Category:American Field Service personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Burials at Graceland Cemetery (Chicago)]]
[[Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Illinois]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Chicago]]
[[Category:MacArthur family (Chicago)|J. Roderick]]
[[Category:Rollins College alumni]]
[[Category:Philanthropists from Illinois]]
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