Evansville businessmen John Dunn will be the City-County Observer ‘Working Outside The Box” guest speaker today at Biaggi restaurant in Evansville.
Dunn began his business career in Evansville after an honorable discharge from the United States Air Force, hence his love of flying and current owner of a Cessna 310. He began at Fuqua Industries in 1959, which owned WROZ Radio and WTVW Channel 7. Dunn started in the Sales Department and by 1964 had been promoted to Vice President and General Manager of WROZ and in 1968 transferred to television.
In 1969, he and a business partner created Medco Centers Nursing Homes. By 1978, there were 28 Medco Centers throughout Indiana and Kentucky, which also included pharmaceutical and physical therapy subsidiaries. In 1978, Dunn sold these properties to a Canadian firm to focus on new ventures – the hotel industry, radio stations, television stations, land development . . .
In 1978, Dunn re-entered the broadcast business by purchasing radio stations in Rhode Island, New Mexico and Texas. At this same time, he also built his first hotel, The Williamsburg Inn at the corner of Division Street and Green River Road.
Dunn eventually divested himself of the radio stations but ventured into television broadcasting with two Evansville low-power television stations (WTSN-LD Channel 36 and WYYW-LD Channel 41), which he continues to operate today.
Over the past 30 years, Dunn Hospitality Group, the management company founded by Dunn in 1978, has built or acquired 28 hotels in Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky.
In 1990, Dunn and Bill Koester formed a joint venture to develop a 70-acre parcel of land on Evansville’s east side, now known as Eagle Crest Commerce Centre. At the groundbreaking for the first business to be located there, Dunn’s 143-room Hampton Inn, then-Mayor Frank McDonald recognized the vision of Dunn and Koester by proclaiming Eagle Crest as Evansville’s “New Front Door.â€
Throughout the years Dunn has endeavored to enrich the community by restoring historical buildings – the Carpenter Home, which now houses the WNIN-Channel 9 facility, was restored and used as the corporate office for the Medco Centers; and the McCurdy Residential Center was initially the McCurdy Hotel.
Dunn is Chairman and CEO of Dunn Hospitality Group, whose corporate offices are located in Evansville. He is also Chairman of the Board of Directors for Tri-State Youth for Christ and Oakland City University Foundation; Immediate Past Chairman of the Board of Trustees for University of Southern Indiana and past Chairman and Director of Welborn Baptist Foundation. He sits on the Corporate Board of Directors for South Central Communications, Inc. and retired from the Boards of Old National Community Bank and Vectren, Inc. in 2010. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors for community groups that include Boys and Girls Club of Evansville, Past President of St. Mary’s Health Systems Seton Corporation, and WNIN-TV/FM88; and formerly on the Boards for Southern Indiana Chamber of Commerce, YMCA and the Salvation Army.
Dunn is a member of the Advisory Council for Indiana University Medical School and a Trustee and member of Church of the Cross in Evansville.
Dunn is a Bosse High School alumnus – Class of ’55. He graduated from Oakland City University in 1961 with a Bachelor of Science degree, Cum Laude. Dunn served 16 years on Oakland City University’s Board of Trustees and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities in 1977. He currently holds the title of Oakland City University Chancellor.
In 2004, Dunn was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by the University of Southern Indiana.
He has been recognized by Evansville Rotarians, SW Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Buffalo Trace Council and the ROTC for his leadership, and received numerous other awards for his accomplishments in the business community.
Dunn is also a member of Evansville Country Club, Â Palm Aire Country Club of Sarasota, FL and is a Rotarian.
Dunn is married to Gail A. (Russell) Dunn. They have three daughters, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
