Jim Cooper's Orange County; John Crean

Why the name of this book is Silas snubbed in the office boy by the prolific American author Horatio Alger. He wrote a hundred and twenty three novels more than a hundred years ago between the Civil War and the end of the 19th century and influenced generations of young people. The themes were similar dramatizing a hard work combined with a free land of opportunity and able to Americans to be whatever they wanted to be. Today that spirit is very much alive in the Horatio Alger Association and the Enya Horatio Alger Award each year 10 outstanding Americans are honored with the award they must emulate by their own lives. The proof that courage work and imagination can lead to success in this nation. Orange County this year has the Horatio Alger National winner John Green. I'm Jim Cooper and today I'll talk with him. The Horatio Alger awards are decided upon by the 230 people who are prior

recipients and who make up the only membership of one of the most exclusive clubs in the world the Horatio Alger Association members include President Dwight Eisenhower and Gerald Ford and others from Walter Brennan and Gene Autry to Johnny Cash. Art Linkletter Bob Hope and Thurgood Marshall. John Green 59 of Corona del Mar is now chairman and chief executive officer of Fleetwood enterprises founded 950 it's today the nation's largest producer of motorhomes and travel trailers. Its sales last year exceeded 1.4 billion dollars. He was born on the 4th of July 1925 the son of an Irish immigrant John Grant came to California from North Dakota in 1928 with his family in a truck. Because they were poor John had to help earn money by odd jobs like picking blackberries. He joined the Navy out of high school later worked in war plants as a dishwasher and an oil tanker in the Pacific. His young wife Donna was a partner all the way. He finally worked at 90 cents an hour on an assembly line in a trailer plant and then

became a supervisor. He later made the nation blind for trailers in his own plant helped by his wife Donna who attended business meetings with him. He then made a homemade travel trailer it was well received more orders kept coming in and John Crane was off and running in 1050 he founded Fleetwood enterprises. John Green and wife Donna are partners in recreation and in work they're shown here with Tommy Lasorda of the Dodgers. They've also been philanthropist along the way. They gave the original 1 million dollars to help build the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove and in 1981 donated the 93 acre ranch to Dr. Robert Schuller a foundation for a Christian training center. It donated the gymnasium to the Anaheim a YMCA and I've given to many charities. They have two sons two daughters and six grandchildren. The greatest pleasure is still working in his industry. One is Orange County Republican Party chairman as vice president of an environmental engineering and planning firm and a friend of the Korean family. Tom was the emcee at a recent party honoring John Green and Orange County he also traveled with him to the

Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York for the awards event. He's involved in a number of charities including the St. Vincent de Paul food distribution center of which he is the chairman of the board and other activities within the Catholic Diocese of Orange County. Well before chatting with our guests today let's go briefly to the awards event where TV cameras were on the scene. This is the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York where the ratio Alger awards were presented to John Crean and nine others including New York Governor Mario Cuomo. M.C. Art Linkletter himself a former winner of the award announced all of the winners in the audience were one hundred and fifty friends of John Green and we invited to fly back to New York with him and his wife Donna to share their memorable evenings. Right now for four years minus eight already. Do you think that you're. One of the

same. Counties. God really becoming. Our. Past lives. My career very well. And I went through this time. Thank you. Tommy Tommy Tommy. This is a life as he has taught me to be here tonight. This is a time. When I. Do. I think. To many people that made this possible. And first of all I asked her I think I bought I bought her world country but he made certain I was. I seen on my life the way here you are sitting there my mother. Right here tells us something. The Lady. My daughters really are World War

II was here in 1965. Women come and go. They're not I were one of the goals that I was when he was in the air for him you know a mile down the line is this is it. I was. Last here and I was lucky to get my speech here. For this event. I honor you for a very mild climate when you're goes over. The top. But the big old yet and I'm going to start a man with money man you know there's a place out there my boy. I think Darfur. And. My.

View on this was yesterday and this bill coming. Oh my god I'm only eight going on and on and. On. Down the. Hill. I mean you know when you know Sharon and Nas were going along I'm used to locate you know and seeing the world was going on global things Governor and ask you about heating element or you were vague. Did Brown in your piece Vandar. We turn around. And. Make. Good on why Mr. Bloomberg. Sought and. Then of course they come you're mowing. Down in. A way bigger. Than

I am. And. Without that our universe and the understanding from now on and you can't live with me are you. Review of their own statement. I am the only one in the mirror. THE GIRL Yes. Oh I want to see you on the low earth are you on the news and then told me that a young Marine drawled on me this is going to go in anyone listen don't listen to it off with any of the. But a very exciting moment just a few weeks ago when that occurred the Horatio Alger winter ward here in Orange County for John Kerry and I think our viewers should know that far from being on the unemployment line. What John Koreans

plaited enterprise it really amounts to today it off to 44 plants in 17 states plus one plant and Canada and a create jobs as of today for 10000 other Americans. I think that's a pretty a pretty nice record. I like to start with not with you Mr Crean but with Tom. You were there you capture the ambience of that evening. Tell us about it. Well Jim you can imagine that. When one one receives an invitation to go to New York and have dinner where Mario Cuomo is getting an award in my place in life you wonder what's happening. But it was a spectacular evening that it was a touching evening. It was an evening now that certainly offered a convincing. Documentary of what free enterprise means in America. What participation in the free marketplace offers to people who want to put their all into it. John's

receiving of the ward was something that we his friends who were there with him could share in. But I think also all the other nine individuals who received the award were tremendous stories of their own of their all-American stories about the tremendous all-American stories inspiration not only for for those of us with a few years on us who sat in the audience but for those young people. I wish when when I was as young as they were coming out of high school that I could have had an opportunity like that to see men and women of accomplishment rewarded for participation in this great system. I have that. John some of your comments went to men the exciting moment in your life. How did you feel about that evening. Well I. I was scared to death to him and I didn't show. Fortunately we now have well fortunately they made the awards in the alphabetical order and I think I was about the third one up there

and after I had done my thing and sat down I was able to enjoy the rest even you know and it was it was terrific. I guess it didn't show but then like so many things for the month before I had no idea what was going to happen and then I was scared. But the minute you walk into the spotlight there and it is you're off and running you know it's like getting on a slide just nothing you can do about it so the fear leaves in you know I like to pick up on one of the themes that you you mentioned you were very you seemed very concerned about the thing that was your message to young people. We live in an age when a lot of young people are. Sort of turned off with the system and saying I can't make it that things are too hard. The system is rigged against me not Ace. And yet that was your very forceful message. Would you enlarge little bit about how you feel about that. Yes well first I really have to go back to what I just said. Saba did by the way that the first time I seen seen that paper had any idea what I said that night.

But when I was a young fellow that was the word was around that he did big business with the bad guy and they had everything wrapped up and there was no young guy didn't have a chance to have a chance now if there was there was no way it could go but fortunately my father didn't believe that and he he encouraged me to go for it that it was possible because. From a relative standpoint from his position where he was in Ireland to where he was a well-off farmer in North Dakota that was a big jump. It was a tremendous jump but what what you're saying is given the situation today in it as you found it say 25 30 years ago would you say the opportunities are as good as today and good as they were then. Or even better. I think they're much better. Why do you say that. Well because there are so many new technologies brought about things in products that

haven't been tapped yet. We there's so many there's so many ideas and so much stuff on the shelf right now that a young person can can look this smorgasbord over and pick up an item and go in go his way with it and do well. And then another big difference today is it wasn't there back in 1950. There is venture capital. For young people today there is a way to get a little money together to get our own to get started better than one used to own much better much better today. Rachel Alger you don't have a book out of a book had that theme that a young guy or a young woman we should say with meager modest power and but a dream can still do it. In the course of the writing as in the three hundred sixty eight hundred seventy eight hundred and eighty hundred years ago more than a hundred years ago who what is your vision about that a young man or young woman here in Orange County who had a dream or an idea. What would how would you answer that. The Horatio Alger dream we'll call it Jim I think that that Orange County is proof

positive of the opportunity for young people in America today or Orange County is of course one of the most progressive and economically dynamic communities in this nation. It's an opportunity for people to come as they do come every year by the 50 thousands and by the hundreds of thousands a year to this community and prosper. I think that a man of accomplishment like John Crean offers a model for some of the young people and I think it's great that we're able to tell that story a little bit today. But the point that I want to make is wow the Horatio Alger books and the tradition of Horatio Alger is one of accomplishment from rags to riches in the Horatio Alger Association recognizes not only that personal accomplishment but also the civic involvement the social leadership the community leadership and the

philanthropy that one who has accomplished puts back into community. I'm proud of my friend John CREAN Because he's accomplished. I'm more proud of him because he shares it. We share that let's talk about that because you see to have a lot of value in your life and I really have an advantage on you because I've studied a lot more about your life and you know bottom line and I've and I've known Tom for a good many years I know the both of you have in common. I caring about other people caring and sharing. Tom I know how involved you are and just one of the things you're involved in is this invention the ball a food distribution center which is how many I'm going to go we're up over seven million pounds to 70 million pounds of food given away every year Jean for bass another person caught the maids who come to mind. Southwest community center in Santa Ana. These are organizations where food is given out where carrying a given and so forth and your involvement helping to build I guess that the funding for the YMCA in Anaheim and the recent gift of the year of the Rancho the 93 acre ranch of Capistrano.

What about that business of giving and caring along the way. Matter how hard it is to make that the ladder of success yourself what would you comment on that. Well quite I'm quite simply Jim giving is just fine. It's just fun it makes you feel good. And I. You know most of my life you know is been pretty much of a pragmatic pragmatist and whatever his. I've enjoyed your and it's been fine I've just done more of it and I'm worth doing is worth overdoing and giving is one of those one of those kind of things you seem to have if you will you use the expression that comes to mind the common touch. People who work with you people have known you. You're a very big Corp executive the biggest in your field. One of the 400 500 Fortune 500 corporations in America. You don't seem to last that common touch. What is that mystique that you seem to have kept.

I will talk many of my you know maybe will mention that I don't really know what that common touch is II. That's always kind of a kind of. A mystery to me. I've gone along and done my thing in a I've been blessed in my business in my career and and my family and it's just been you know a marvelous life in there. And I I don't know what what the common touch is so I don't I really don't and I've heard you go into the plant and up and talk to the guys working on the line that you don't have that aloofness that some corporate executives have when they are at a very high level you don't seem to have that when you want to visit the plant. It doesn't bother you to walk up to anyone on the line and start chatting with them. And I'll mark you know we're no no no no no no but I I don't think that's anything that you mention that other people lose that I don't think they they probably don't have in a first place that's a paper that

mattered. But giving is the important part and I notice so many people of many successful eigene people seem to have this knack of feeling that they still have a feeling a sensitivity to a guy that's maybe out there just trying to make the car payments and try to make the house pain. He's trying to get enough money for a down payment to buy a house and we all know that a lot of money in Orange County. What about that mystique of the giving mystique over giving mystique. Jim certainly has it's fun I like his answer after the great answer and I bet it's a true ass run. And it has its rewards and that many ways and of course in a very prime way we have to first recognize the need here in this community there is a community of affluence and a community of prosperity in Orange County. But there also is a community of need in order to get here is that the figures we use over at the food center we know that there's 40000 people on welfare today in Orange County we know there's a hundred and forty thousand at poverty level or below in Orange County we know there's three hundred twenty thousand that

at the risk of being hungry. Yet this community well an opportunity there exists then for some of us to. Find some success to participate in meeting that need I want. What a nice thought that is apparently it by love your answer that it's fun and I hope a lot of people like John Green and like you and look like a lot of us still continue to regard it as fun. There are some values in your life that I've seen coming up again and when the one thing is that you had seeped in to have a high place of value for family you want to talk about that I know you've got six grandchildren now and your wife we saw those early pictures of your wife in the later pictures of Parker with you all the way what about family. Well I had to Mia. Family is everything I know I got I know there are people that are successful who who aren't married their bachelor is if they make it somehow I don't know how how they make it because if it weren't for the family and someone to to do it for

I would have no motivation at all. I mean what would it be. It just doesn't make any sense to me. Family to me is is it is everything the it's very big. Friendship I want when anyone takes all the people hundred fifty people why is it that you want to have share that evening with you or your birthday. Real your real live nephew of your uncle sam born on the Fourth of July. I think that George M. Cohen song that you went to the Queen Mary and had a big fireworks in on your birthday July 4th friendship is a big thank you what about friendship. Well I think it's more than friendship. Jim I think it's love. And I think I think love is a powerful thing and it's probably the neatest thing there is and you know that's something that is just above. Above all other things and those then and well you know coming up and being concerned about where the guy can make his car payment really being concerned. Yes that's a lot of and that you know that's a that's a real thing that's what it's all

about. That's what we're here for you. You're in an industry that had ups and downs as the RV industry and sometimes it's up on the big board and so ended down its wings. HOW DO YOU WEATHER A What's your personal credo for weathering the ups and downs that your industry particularly as it is heir to. Well I tell you when and where on the downside Jim Himes said doggone busy. Trying to get our act back together because we're not on the down side because of something out there or this or that around the downside because there's something that we should be doing that we're not. And I'm so busy trying to get get us doing what we should be doing that I really don't have time to be concern or worry about it and. You stay on the you stay on the aggressive or let's say you stay on the positive side that I worry about the negative aspects you're here do you have any any mistake about that. Well the only thing I could add to that Jim is that the more folks that I come to know who tell me that they've had Fleetwood

stock over the years I'm yet to meet one who said who hasn't said they haven't made a lot of money and I'm trying to find out what is there must be so special mystique to that because other stocks seem to go up and down but everybody that I don't know that's been involved with Fleetwood has a good story to tell about a Johnson maybe you'll share with me one day how it is that that's the case last year with yeah with that with you right now Tom is is with big Woodstock or any other stock if you buy it when it's low nobody wants it and you sell it when it's high when everybody wants it. You do pretty well. I'll take that from. Sure it's that I think the Nile route goes I thought the name of Bernard broke the dead by it for the slowdown I want to try another thing it seemed to be an important part of your life and I know it's a part of yours too Tom and that is patriotism. I don't mean patriotism or you're out waving the flag all of I mean a patriot in that you care about this country out of a hundred and seventy hundred eighty sovereign nations in this world and you seem to feel very strongly that this is still a country where if we

talked at the beginning of the program that you can still make it that freedoms are given to you to make it. It's what the Southeast Asians say to me on this very show who come over here that you think most Americans don't realize they say they say to us. Most Americans don't realize the value of this precious gem called freedom and they know what it's like to have it taken away from them. What about patriotism. Is that must be an important part of your life. Well Oh it certainly is and this country is is really a phenomenon you know that we've been chugging along here over 200 years now and where we do still have those freedoms and then we've got people coming on and being tremendously successful. It is who is in most all fields today were in that in most other countries in the world it would be absolutely impossible to have be born into it or they have to say that they have to know somebody earth is this. It's it's

impossible but this country those freedoms allow whatever is is in a person to to rise to the surface. If it's good and he can enjoy the benefits of his of his efforts. Do you think most Americans really appreciate just what we're talking about here. I have been told again and again by the Southeast Asian refugees particularly that you don't you people don't revalue enough what you have here already. I think that that in this day an aire era people are coming more to appreciate it. JM I think that there's a rebirth of a prick of appreciation of patriotism in America today. But I don't think it's an it's an adequate appreciation of it. I think that our new neighbors in Orange County from Southeast Asia. Yes do have a special view of the importance of patriotism that some of us have enjoyed it for so many years. Lack exactly it we enjoyed We've been born into it. For those who haven't had it the coming of it's like it's like giving them a glass of water when they were thirsty. When they come to

this country. And I think you know I think it's a shame Jim that more young people don't take advantage of it because not every opportunity you don't take advantage of the opportunity you can enjoy the freedoms you got to get over they get convinced somewhere along the line of this not for me you said that that it too tough now you can make it these days. And Jim there's a responsibility for one generation to share that with the next. And I came to know John because I know his sons Johnny and Andy and my friend Johnny Crean is a patriot and I know he got it from his dad and mom and I think that when one generation passes it on to the next. That's a tribute to the senior generation who we have just a short time left but I want to ask one more question. Spirituality seems to be some part of your life you care about them you gave money to. Dr. Schuller to start the Crystal Cathedral in the. And as it has been Rancho the Capistrano project is that a big part of your

life. There's a very big part of my life. Jim I I think I'm I'm totally convinced that the you know the guidance is to do it. We're supposed to do comes from from from outside myself and. But in my spiritual life is very important. Did you intend to keep it work in 10 to quit work or keep working. They're going to carry me out. You're going to keep on working you bet. That's what I like and I love it they keep me young you're almost 60. Did they keep you young. You don't even think about retiring not at all. No I love it. I love working. I love work and I love it. Thanks very much for both of you being with us. Our times almost up now and I want to thank both of our guest there for their comment on the meaning of the Horatio Alger Award. Please join me next week at the same time and I'll have my guest the leaders of the national lack organization who will talk on an issue to come up at the National Convention here in Orange County. I'm Jim Cooper thanks for being with us.