John Sargent Pillsbury Jr_sandb1935.jpg

John Sargent Pillsbury, Jr (S&B 1935)

Attorney. Insurance. Community Leader and Patron of the Arts. Yale College. Skull and Bones. University of Minnesota Law School.

He was very active nationally in life insurance industry affairs, serving as Chairman of the two principal industry organizations, the Institute of Life Insurance and the Life Insurance Association of America (now combined as the American Council of Life Insurers).[2]

He also served as a director of The Pillsbury Company, Northwestern National Bank, Northwestern Bancorporation, Boise Cascade Corporation, Northwestern Bell Telephone Company and Wells Fargo Mortgage and Equity Trust.[2]

Very active in community and civic affairs, he was a Founding Director of Twin Cities Public Television, Chairman of the Community Chest Drive (the predecessor of the United Way) and a Trustee of the University of Minnesota Foundation and the Dunwoody Institute.[2]

As Chairman of the Board of the Minnesota Orchestra, he was instrumental in the planning and construction of Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis. He was also very involved in Yale University alumni affairs.[2]

1965, Pillsbury was the driving force behind the Northwestern National Life Building at the north end of the Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis,[6] and his relationship with the architect has been described as a “wonderful association” and a “real rapport”.[7] That architect was Minoru Yamasaki,[7] then a regional architect. The new headquarters for the company was a modern building, incorporating Gothic arches. Yamasaki went on to design the World Trade Center, which incorporated design features of the Minneapolis building.[7]

1956 to 1977 - Chief Executive Officer of Northwestern National Life Insurance Company (non ING-ReliaStar)

to 1956, Practiced law as a partner of Faegre & Benson.

WW2 - United States Navy - Lieutenant Commander.

1935 - Graduated Yale, Skull and Bones Patriarch.

Died 28 Mar 2005 from TBC. Age 92

[1] - WIKI - FYI - John Sargent Pillsbury, Jr (S&B 1935)

[2] - Fleshing Out Skull & Bones - Investigations into America’s Most Powerful Secret Society 2008 by Antony Sutton, Howard Altman, Kris Millegan, Dr Ralph Bunch, Anton Chaitkin and Webster Griffin Tarpley

[3] - America’s Secret Establishment. An Introduction to the Order of Skull and Bones by Antony C. Sutton (2004)

[4] - Yale’s Skull & Bones Society Members to 2006 - by Eric Samuelson, J.D.

[5] - Find a Grave - John Sargent Pillsbury, Jr (S&B 1935)

[6] - Book - The Pillsbury of Minnesota

[7] - Architecture MN - Voya Financial 20 Washington