View source for Joan Kroc

{{short description|American philanthropist (1928–2003)}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Joan Kroc
| image              = Joan-b-kroc-philanthropist-by-bill-cramer.jpg
| alt                = 
| caption            = Joan B. Kroc in 1987
| birth_name         = Joan Beverly Mansfield
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1928|8|27}}
| birth_place        = [[West St. Paul, Minnesota]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{death date and age|2003|10|12|1928|8|27}}
| death_place        = [[Rancho Santa Fe]], California, U.S.
| resting_place      = [[El Camino Memorial Park]]<br/>[[Sorrento Valley, San Diego]], California
| spouse             = {{Plainlist|
*{{Marriage|Rawland F. Smith|1945|1969|end=divorced}}
*{{Marriage|[[Ray Kroc]]|1969|1984|end=died}}
}}
| children           = 1
}}

'''Joan Beverly Kroc''' ({{née}} '''Mansfield''', previously '''Smith'''; August 27, 1928 – October 12, 2003), also known as '''Joni''',<ref>{{cite book |last1=Anderson |first1=Robert |url=https://archive.org/details/grindingitoutmak00kroc_0 |title=Grinding it out : the making of McDonald's |last2=Kroc |first2=Ray |author-link2=Ray Kroc |date=1987 |publisher=St. Martin's Paperbacks |isbn=0-312-92987-0 |edition=St. Martin's pbk. |location=[New York] |access-date=January 3, 2017 |url-access=registration}}</ref> was an American [[philanthropist]] and the third wife of [[McDonald's]] CEO [[Ray Kroc]].

== Early life ==
Joan Beverly Mansfield was born on August 27, 1928, in [[West St. Paul, Minnesota]]. Her father, Charles Smart Mansfield,<ref>{{cite web |last=Harris |first=Scott |date=October 13, 1985 |title=Dismayed by Nuclear Arms Race : McDonald's Fortune Fuels Joan Kroc's Peace Effort |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-10-13-mn-15799-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407225852/http://articles.latimes.com/1985-10-13/news/mn-15799_1_joan-kroc/2 |archive-date=April 7, 2018 |access-date=April 1, 2018 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> was a store keeper and later a railroad telegraph operator and salesman.<ref>{{cite web |last=Grossmann |first=Mary Ann |date=January 7, 2017 |title=Joan and Ray Kroc's St. Paul love story – and why she gave away her McDonald's fortune |url=https://www.twincities.com/2017/01/07/mycol-08/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121021651/http://www.twincities.com/2017/01/07/mycol-08/ |archive-date=November 21, 2017 |access-date=August 25, 2025 |website=twincities.com}}</ref>

== Marriage and family ==
In 1945, Mansfield married Rawland F. "Rollie" Smith,<ref>{{cite book |last=Napoli |first=Lisa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YqaoCwAAQBAJ&q=Zien+Rawland&pg=PT187 |title=Ray & Joan: The Man Who Made the McDonald's Fortune and the Woman Who Gave It All Away |date=November 15, 2016 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-1-101-98496-3 |pages=368 |access-date=April 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616003850/https://books.google.com/books?id=YqaoCwAAQBAJ&q=Zien+Rawland&pg=PT187 |archive-date=June 16, 2022 |url-status=live |via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/founder/|publisher=[[History vs. Hollywood]]|title=The Founder (2017)|date=2016|access-date=May 27, 2021|archive-date=August 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808161612/https://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/founder/}}</ref> a [[United States Navy|Navy]] veteran who would become a [[McDonald's]] franchisee, eventually owning three stores in [[Rapid City, South Dakota|Rapid City]], [[South Dakota]]. The couple's only child, a daughter named Linda, was born the following year.<ref>John A. Drobnicki, "Kroc, Joan B.," in ''The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives,'' Vol. VII: ''2003–2005'' (Scribner's, 2007), p. 316.</ref>

Mansfield met [[McDonald's Corp.]] founder [[Ray Kroc]], who was 26 years her senior, while playing the organ at the Criterion Restaurant in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota|St. Paul, Minnesota]] in 1957.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://slphistory.org/mcdonalds/|title=McDonald's|website=St Louis Park Historical Society|access-date=May 27, 2021|archive-date=November 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118075138/http://slphistory.org/mcdonalds/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-09-14-me-271-story.html|title=Family Friend Arrested on Suspicion of Kidnaping Daughter of McDonald's Exec|first=John D.|last=Cramer|date=September 14, 1990|access-date=May 27, 2021|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|archive-date=August 29, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150829224443/http://articles.latimes.com/1990-09-14/local/me-271_1_family-friend}}</ref> Ray said in his autobiography that he "was stunned by her blonde beauty". They were both married at the time. They met again at a McDonald's conference in 1969 and, within six months, they divorced their spouses and married each other. Following Kroc's death in 1984, she inherited his fortune.<ref>{{cite web |last=Van Kley |first=Brian |title=Kroc, Joan |url=https://www.learningtogive.org/resources/kroc-joan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170416130740/https://www.learningtogive.org/resources/kroc-joan |archive-date=April 16, 2017 |access-date=May 27, 2021 |publisher=Learning to Give}}</ref>

== Philanthropy ==
{{external media |width = 210px |float = right |video1 = [https://www.c-span.org/video/?418609-1/lisa-napoli-discusses-ray-joan Ray and Joan], 57:59, Lisa Napoli discusses her book on [[C-SPAN]]<ref name="span">{{cite web |title =Ray and Joan |publisher =[[C-SPAN]] |date =November 20, 2016 |url =https://www.c-span.org/video/?418609-1/lisa-napoli-discusses-ray-joan |access-date =January 22, 2017 |archive-date =February 2, 2017 |archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20170202012541/https://www.c-span.org/video/?418609-1/lisa-napoli-discusses-ray-joan |url-status=live }}</ref> }}

In 2002, [[Kroc Center]], a large [[The Salvation Army|Salvation Army]] community center that she helped fund—to the tune of $87 million—opened to the public. She later bequeathed an additional $1.6 [[billion]] to open Salvation Army Kroc Centers across the nation, the largest one-time gift ever recorded. Several institutions in the San Diego area are named after her, including the think tank [[Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aker |first=Dee |date=2024-12-30 |title=Jimmy Carter: A life working for peace with justice |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2024/12/30/jimmy-carter-a-life-working-for-peace-with-justice/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=San Diego Union-Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2003-10-13 |title=Joan Kroc Dies Of Brain Cancer - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/joan-kroc-dies-of-brain-cancer/ |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref> and the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies—the world's top peace institution—at the [[University of San Diego]], the St. Vincent de Paul Joan Kroc Center for the Homeless (part of Father Joe's Villages—San Diego's largest organization helping the homeless) in downtown and the Kroc–Copley Animal Shelter in the Morena District. Additionally, Joan established and endowed [[University of Notre Dame]]'s Joan B. [[Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.city-journal.org/printable.php?id=2300 |title=The Peace Racket |website=City Journal |access-date=1 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070913214855/http://www.city-journal.org/printable.php?id=2300 |archive-date=September 13, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Kroc preferred to give donations anonymously, but recipient organizations often insisted on publicizing her gifts, hoping to attract new donors.<ref name="John">John A. Drobnicki, "Kroc, Joan B.," in ''The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives,'' Vol. VII: ''2003–2005'' (Scribner's, 2007), p. 317.</ref>

As the Padres owner, Kroc started [[Major League Baseball]]'s first employee-assistance program for players and staff with drug problems.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cohen |first1=Hannah S. |last2=Harris |first2=Gloria G. |title=Remarkable Women of San Diego: Pioneers, Visionaries and Innovators |publisher=[[Arcadia Publishing]] |date=2016 |page=84 |isbn=978-1-62585-726-2}}</ref>

Kroc was also politically active. In 1985, she spent millions of dollars in support of [[nuclear disarmament]], which included reprinting the book ''Missile Envy'' by [[Helen Caldicott]], as well as publishing ads in major newspapers calling for disarmament. She anonymously gifted a Paul Conrad sculpture depicting a nuclear mushroom cloud, Chain Reaction, to the city of Santa Monica, where it still sits today. Because of her public no-nukes work, [[Cal Thomas]], a conservative syndicated columnist, called her a "McNut".<ref name="John"/>

Kroc is affectionately known by the citizens of [[Grand Forks, North Dakota|Grand Forks]], [[North Dakota]], and [[East Grand Forks, Minnesota|East Grand Forks]], [[Minnesota]], as the "Angel" because of her anonymous $15 million donation to assist the cities after a [[1997 Red River flood|devastating flood]] occurred there in 1997. She was revealed as the source of the funds after reporters tracked down ownership of the jet that she used to fly into the area to survey the damage.<ref>{{cite news |title=Joan B. Kroc, North Dakota's "angel", dies at 75 |url=http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_4b455af4-6e4e-56e0-9188-6c60b8cb8922.html |date=12 October 2003 |access-date=6 April 2011 |publisher=[[Associated Press]] |archive-date=11 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111151742/http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_4b455af4-6e4e-56e0-9188-6c60b8cb8922.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

After her death in 2003, it was announced that Kroc had left the majority of her estate to the Salvation Army for the purpose of building recreation centers all across the nation. Another of her major donations was $225 million to National Public Radio ([[NPR]])<ref>{{cite news |last=Janssen |first=Mike |date=24 May 2004 |title=Kroc gift lets NPR expand news, lower fees |url=http://www.current.org/npr/npr0409krocgift.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110322154055/http://www.current.org/npr/npr0409krocgift.shtml |archive-date=March 22, 2011 |access-date=April 6, 2011 |publisher=[[Current (newspaper)|Current]]}}</ref><ref name=NPR>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/about/press/031106.kroc.html|title=NPR Receives a Record Bequest of More Than $200 Million |date=6 November 2003 |access-date=April 6, 2011 |publisher=[[NPR]] |archive-date=December 2, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031202221832/https://www.npr.org/about/press/031106.kroc.html}}</ref> including $5 million to her local public radio station, San Diego's [[KPBS-FM|KPBS]].<ref name=NPR/>

== Death and legacy ==
Kroc died of [[brain tumor|brain cancer]] on October 12, 2003, in [[Rancho Santa Fe, California]], at the age of 75. She was cremated and most of her remains were entombed at the [[El Camino Memorial Park]] in [[Sorrento Valley, San Diego]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Potter |first=Matt |date=April 22, 2004 |title=Cremains of the day |url=https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2004/apr/22/educational-aids/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616003851/https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2004/apr/22/educational-aids/ |archive-date=June 16, 2022 |access-date=May 26, 2021 |newspaper=[[San Diego Reader]]}}</ref>

Her [[will (law)|will]] included significant bequests for a number of organizations:
* $1.5 billion (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|1.5|1998}}&nbsp;billion in {{Inflation/year|US}}) for the [[The Salvation Army|Salvation Army]]<ref name="LATimes">{{cite news |last=Perry |first=Tony |date=January 31, 2004 |title=Philanthropy That Was Deeply Personal |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jan-31-me-kroc31-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104155504/http://articles.latimes.com/2004/jan/31/local/me-kroc31 |archive-date=November 4, 2012 |access-date=April 6, 2011 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>
* $200 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|200|1998}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|US}}) for [[NPR|National Public Radio]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Ydstie |first=John |date=November 6, 2003 |title=Kroc Makes $200 Million Bequest to NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1495187 |access-date=October 27, 2023}}</ref>
* $50 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|50|1998}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|US}}) for the [[University of San Diego]]'s [[University of San Diego|Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice]]<ref name=LATimes/>
* $50 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|50|1998}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|US}}) for the [[University of Notre Dame]]'s [[Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies]]<ref name=LATimes/>
* $20 million (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|20|1998}}&nbsp;million in {{Inflation/year|US}}) for the San Diego Hospice & Palliative Care, which was in addition to the $18.5 million she donated to build the institution during her life.<ref name=LATimes/>

== In popular culture ==
The biography ''Ray & Joan: The Man Who Made The McDonald's Fortune and The Woman Who Gave it All Away'', published by Dutton in 2016, and written by Lisa Napoli, examines the Krocs' relationship.

Kroc is portrayed by actress [[Linda Cardellini]] in the 2016 American [[Biographical film|biographical]] [[Drama (film and television)|drama]] film ''[[The Founder]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Palmeri |first=Christopher |date=January 6, 2017 |title=Sex, Lies, and Hamburgers: McDonald's and the Krocs |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-06/sex-lies-and-hamburgers-mcdonald-s-and-the-krocs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106140954/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-06/sex-lies-and-hamburgers-mcdonald-s-and-the-krocs |archive-date=January 6, 2017 |access-date=May 26, 2021 |publisher=[[Bloomberg News]]}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Women in baseball]]
* [[List of female Major League Baseball principal owners]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{cite web |title=Ray & Joan |url=https://rayandjoan.com/ |last=Napoli |first=Lisa |via=AWD |date=2016}}
* {{cite web |last=Williams |first=Jack |url=http://www.nd.edu/~krocinst/about/philanthropist.html |title=Gracious Philanthropist leaves a global legacy |via=The Joan B. Kroc Institute |newspaper=[[San Diego Union-Tribune]] |date=October 13, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051021014705/http://www.nd.edu/~krocinst/about/philanthropist.html |archive-date=October 21, 2005}}
* [http://peace.sandiego.edu/ Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice]. [[University of San Diego]]
* [http://kroc.nd.edu/ The Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies]. [[University of Notre Dame]]
* {{cite web |url=http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2001/may/31/married-rich/ |title=Married Rich |newspaper=[[San Diego Reader]] |date=May 31, 2001 |last=Potter |first=Matt}}

{{McDonald's}}
{{San Diego Padres}}
{{San Diego Padres owners}}
{{Women's Museum of California}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kroc, Joan}}
[[Category:American businesspeople in the food industry]]
[[Category:McDonald's people]]
[[Category:1928 births]]
[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:California Democrats]]
[[Category:Deaths from brain cancer in California]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball owners]]
[[Category:Minnesota Democrats]]
[[Category:People from West St. Paul, Minnesota]]
[[Category:People from Rancho Santa Fe, California]]
[[Category:Philanthropists from California]]
[[Category:San Diego Padres owners]]
[[Category:University of Notre Dame people]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesswomen]]
[[Category:20th-century American philanthropists]]
[[Category:21st-century American women]]
[[Category:Women sports owners]]