No ‘Minor’ professor
By Kristen Eloe
Skiff Staff

David Minor’s first entrepreneurial venture began on a sunny afternoon in the small town of Ashburnham, Mass., as construction workers leveled a local historical building.

Many of the quintessential New England community’s 3,500 residents congregated in front of the building, catching up on the latest news, reminiscing with old friends and watching some of the biggest action the town would see that year.

Not to miss out, the 10-year-old David ran down the street as fast as any young boy could while carrying a jug of lemonade and an armful of plastic cups.

The article that appeared the next morning in the local paper carried a front-page story covering the loss of the historical building alongside a picture of David, grinning and holding his lemonade thermos. The caption read, “And David Minor sells lemonade.”

A born entrepreneur and a TCU alumnus, Minor now teaches Managing the Emerging Venture as director of the James A. Ryffel Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. Anxiously awaiting the opening of the Sarah and Steve Smith Entrepreneurs Hall on campus, Minor hopes to accelerate the learning curve and prepare students for what he calls a “journey of continuous improvement.”

Minor started his lawn care business after his family moved to Fort Worth, before he could even drive a car. A student at Southwest High School, he partnered up with a friend who already had a driver’s license, and then negotiated an agreement with his grandmother.

“The deal was, I borrowed the lawn mower, but I had to mow her yard for free,” Minor said.

The partnership dissolved by the next summer. Minor had his own driver’s license and a business that would later develop into Minor’s Landscaping Service. He continued the business through high school and college as it grew into an award-winning company with more than 300 employees.

In 1998, Minor sold the business to Servicemaster, the parent company of Tru-Green-ChemLawn, because of consolidation opportunities in the landscaping industry.

He worked for Servicemaster until fall 1999 when Charles Williams, associate professor of management working as interim associate dean, and William Moncrief, senior associate dean and professor of international business working as interim dean, offered Minor the director position.

“When we asked him to consider being director, he was stunned,” Moncrief said. “He thought we were going to ask him for money.”

About six weeks into the new job, Sarah and Steve Smith came to speak to a TCU management class. During the visit, Steve Smith mentioned an interest in supporting the TCU entrepreneurial program, Moncrief said.

The following week, Minor drove to Austin to visit with the Smiths. After a five-hour conversation, and another week of consideration, the Smiths agreed to donate $10.5 million toward the creation of a new entrepreneurial building.

“I think one of the exciting things is that Sarah Smith is so excited about this,” Moncrief said. “She likes the building, she’s seen it, she’s had tours, she likes the spirit behind it.”

The hall will hold nearly all business classes, boasting 13 state-of-the-art classrooms, 20 team rooms, an eating facility, a conference room and a sitting area between the hall and the M.J. Neeley School of Business.

“The hall will be competitive with any building in the country with regards to technology,” Minor said. “I hope it raises the level of prominence of the business school.”

Designed as a student-oriented learning center, the hall will not have any faculty offices. The Ryffel Center, however, will move to the hall’s third floor.

Glenda Laney, an administrative assistant at the Ryffel Center, said the move will not change the format or main emphasis of Minor’s class.

“I think that a lot of students are finding out that he’s giving them what they need to know to start a business,” Laney said.

Moncrief said, “His classes have been very popular and he’s done a great job teaching. He’s brought in some good programs for the entrepreneurship center.”

The programs Minor helped initiate include the TCU CEO Club, a co-extracurricular addition to the entrepreneurship major; TCU/EntrePrep, a one-week summer entrepreneurship-focused scholarship program for high school seniors; and the Entrepreneurs Summit, an annual one-day event in which interested entrepreneurs, alumni, faculty and students meet to eat lunch and listen to guest speakers.

“Any student who has an interest in entrepreneurship should talk to Mr. Minor,” said Jason Ruth, junior entrepreneurial management, finance, and e-business major and CEO Club president.

Ruth, a former business owner himself, said Minor teaches students not to allow entrepreneurship to take time away from the other parts of life.

“Mr. Minor always says, ‘Put family first, enjoy life,’” Ruth said.

Just like the young entrepreneur from Massachusetts, Minor definitely appears to enjoy life. Perpetually cheerful, Minor greets life’s challenges as he would successes — with a smile. Considering the upcoming completion of the Sarah and Smith Entrepreneurs Hall, Minor practically radiates enthusiasm.

TCU students have noticed the inspirational attitude, dropping by his office at all hours of the day.

“His door will always be open,” Ruth said. “He’s always willing to talk.”

Kristen Eloe
k.j.eloe@tcu.edu