William A. Wrigley III | |
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| Born | (1933-01-21)January 21, 1933 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 8, 1999(1999-03-08) (aged 66) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Confectionery magnate |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3, includingWilliam Jr. II |
| Father | Philip K. Wrigley |
William A. Wrigley III (January 21, 1933 – March 8, 1999), known asWilliam Wrigley, was president of theWm. Wrigley Jr. Company, founded by his grandfatherWilliam Wrigley Jr., from 1961 until his death from pneumonia in March 1999.[1] His father,P. K. Wrigley, preceded him as president. He was succeeded by his sonBill Wrigley Jr. as president and CEO. He inherited ownership of theChicago Cubs in 1977. Only a few months later, his mother died. This left him saddled with massive estate taxes. With most of his money tied up in the Wrigley Company and the Cubs, he eventually sold the Cubs to theChicago Tribune in 1981 to pay off the tax bill.
After assuming the company's presidency in 1961, Wrigley maintained its position as the world's largest manufacturer of chewing gum by venturing intoOrbit,Freedent,Extra,Hubba Bubba, andBig Red.
Wrigley was a 1954 graduate ofYale College, where he wasmanager of theYale football team.
He was first married in 1957 to Alison Hunter. They had three children, Alison Elizabeth, Philip Knight, and William Jr., before their marriage ended in divorce in 1969. The following year in a ceremony on Catalina island, he married Joan Georgine Fisher. That marriage ended in annulment. In November 1981, he married Julie Burns.[2]
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