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'''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.
The foundation established the MacArthur Justice Center, a public interest law firm that formed an alliance in 2006 at the [[Northwestern University School of Law]], and litigates for civil rights.<ref name="northwestern.edu">{{cite web|url=http://www.law.northwestern.edu/macarthur|title=Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center: Bluhm Legal Clinic, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law|website=www.law.northwestern.edu|accessdate=26 May 2018}}</ref> In addition, MacArthur Justice centers have been opened in [[New Orleans]] (2013), [[Oxford, Mississippi]], in an association with the law school at [[University of Mississippi]] (2014); and [[Saint Louis, Missouri]] (2016).
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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]].
He worked for his father in the insurance industry before they became estranged. In 1973, while working with a company that sold ceramic collectable plates, MacArthur noticed that the ceramic-collectable market was chaotic. He started the [[Bradford Exchange]], and by the time of his death, it sold about 90 percent of all the collectable plates in the world. Often credited with becoming "a self-made millionaire," MacArthur did have some financial backing from his father, but the concept, business plan and effort behind the Bradford Exchange were Rod MacArthur's own.
In 1975, once the business had become successful, MacArthur's father claimed that the Bradford Exchange was ''his'' business, seizing its customer lists and putting the on-hand inventory under lock and key. Rod MacArthur then organized a group of employees to enter his father's warehouse in Northbrook, Illinois, and hustle the inventory into a waiting fleet of trucks. He reestablished the business away from his father.
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MacArthur reconciled with his father before John D. MacArthur died on January 6, 1978 (of pancreatic cancer). He named MacArthur to the board of his [[foundation (charity)|foundation]], which was founded according to his will. At that point, John D. MacArthur was worth in excess of $1 billion and was reportedly one of the three richest men in the United States.
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John D. MacArthur bequeathed ninety-two percent of his estate to begin the [[John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation]]. The Foundation's first Board of Directors, per John D. MacArthur's will, included J. Roderick MacArthur, [[Catherine T. MacArthur]] (his second wife), his attorney [[William T. Kirby]], two officers of [[Bankers Life and Casualty]], and radio commentator [[Paul Harvey]].
Rod MacArthur's son, [[John R. MacArthur|John Roderick "Rick" MacArthur]], has charged publicly:
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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=Archived copy |accessdate=2006-09-22 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312074758/http://www.learningtogive.org/papers/index.asp?bpid=152&print=yes |archivedate=2007-03-12 |df= }}</ref> This sale removed the Bankers Life issue from the suit. MacArthur's allegations that board members and key foundation executives were profiting at the expense of the foundation were still open.
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=Archived copy |accessdate=2013-10-11 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204053858/http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.959481/k.7895/Frequently_Asked_Questions.htm |archivedate=2012-02-04 |df= }}</ref>
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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*[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]
*[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20040523/ai_n12547635/pg_1/ The John D. and Catherine MacArthur Foundation and J. Roderick MacArthur's early role.], ''Chicago Sun'', 2004
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[[Category:
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:1984 deaths]]
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