Andrew J. McKenna*

Andrew McKenna was born on Chicago's South Side in 1929. He learned discipline from his father, who had only a high school education. "The most important thing I learned from him was dependability," he says. "It's important to be able to depend upon people and to know that someone's going to be there when you want them to be there."

McKenna's father often read aloud to him about achievers. McKenna's grandfather, who was a blacksmith, also influenced him in his youth. "I always respected him because he was an entrepreneur," he says. "I learned from him."

A bout of rheumatic fever kept McKenna out of much of the fourth grade, but he kept up with his classmates. "My parents wanted college to be a goal for me. Report card day was an important day in our household," says McKenna, who was an excellent student.

He worked part time during high school and through college at the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a degree in business administration and marketing. During his first year at DePaul University College of Law, McKenna held four jobs: He taught school, delivered flowers, offered tax advice at a currency exchange, and tutored a Russian engineer in English grammar. Eventually, he switched to night school and worked one full-time job during the day.

Rather than find work as an attorney after earning his law degree, McKenna became a salesman for Schwarz Paper Company LLC. He rose quickly through the organization, becoming president within nine years, the first nonfamily member to serve in that capacity. In 1967, he purchased the company from its founder. In 2012, Schwarz, with 14 facilities throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, was acquired by London-based Bunzl PLC.

McKenna has been a director on several boards, including those of Aon Corp. and McDonald's. He was chairman of Notre Dame's board of trustees from 1992 to 2000 and was vice chairman for six years before that. He has served on many civic, community, and philanthropic boards, including Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry and the Economic Club of Chicago, both of which he chaired. He was also chairman of the Commercial Club of Chicago.

McKenna believes in being physically and mentally active. "You should have a code of ethics to live by. Be focused. Believe in yourself, and always be reaching for something. Don't ever assume something is beyond you. Reach for it, and think you can achieve it."

Asked about education, McKenna says, "What the Horatio Alger Association does for young people is so important. Education is more than just a process of learning. It's a process of development. It is a broadening experience that helps you develop character."