Janice Suber McNair (born September 30, 1936) is the co-founder and former owner of the Houston Texans, a position which she assumed after the death of her husband Bob McNair in 2018.[1]
Janice McNair | |||
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| Born | September 30, 1936 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, U.S. | ||
| Alma mater | Columbia College | ||
| Occupation | Businesswoman | ||
| Known for | Owner of the Houston Texans | ||
| Spouse | Bob McNair (1937–2018) | ||
| Children | 4, including Cal McNair | ||
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American football career | |||
| Career history | |||
| As an executive: | |||
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Early life
editMcNair was born on September 30, 1936, and was raised in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and attended Columbia College, a private women's liberal arts college.[2] It was in her college years in which she met her future husband Bob.[3]
Career
editMcNair was the right-hand to her husband throughout much of his career, including when he founded Cogen Technologies, which was sold in 1999 to Enron and CalPERS. She co-founded the Texans in 1999 alongside her husband.[citation needed]
Following her husband's death in 2018, McNair became the team's principal owner, with the title of "senior chair".[1] Her son Cal is the current CEO and day-to-day head of the franchise.[4]
McNair is one of ten female NFL team owners or co-owners. The others are Virginia Halas McCaskey (Chicago Bears), Kim Pegula (Buffalo Bills), Carol Davis (Las Vegas Raiders), Dee Haslam (Cleveland Browns), Amy Adams Strunk (Tennessee Titans), Gayle Benson (New Orleans Saints), Sheila Ford Hamp (Detroit Lions), Denise DeBartolo York (San Francisco 49ers) and Jody Allen (Seattle Seahawks).[3]
McNair's reported net worth is believed to be at US$4 billion.[5] As of 2019, she was the richest female sports owner in the United States.[6]
Late in 2023, McNair's son Robert Cary McNair Jr. applied for a guardianship over his mother. Janice McNair and her other son Cal responded with documents stating that the appointment of a guardian was unnecessary, and requested that documents related to the case be sealed.[7] The lawsuit was jointly dropped on February 26, 2024.[8]
On March 26, 2024, principal ownership of the Texans was transferred to Cal McNair.[9]
Philanthropy
editIn 1989, Janice McNair and her husband established the Robert and Janice McNair Educational Foundation. The goal of the foundation was to remove some of the financial barriers that were preventing Rutherford County High school graduates from attending college. The first beneficiaries were the class of 1990. To date, the McNair foundation has awarded approximately $2.6 million in financial aid.
In August 2019, McNair donated $5 million to Pro Vision Inc, a community building project in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Houston. It was reported to be the largest donation ever made by an NFL owner.[10]
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Houston, McNair donated $1 million to the Houston Rent Relief fund to help apartment residents in Houston facing eviction during the pandemic economic recession.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b "Janice S. McNair". www.houstontexans.com. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
- ^ "7 billionaires on Forbes list have Charleston ties". Post and Courier. 9 March 2014.
- ^ a b McClain, John (March 29, 2019). "Texans owner Janice McNair: 'You play to win'". HoustonChronicle.com.
- ^ McClain, John (24 November 2018). "Cal McNair groomed to run Texans". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
- ^ Huddleston Jr., Tom (November 10, 2019). "These are the NFL's 10 richest billionaire owners". CNBC.
- ^ Badenhausen, Kurt. "America's Richest Sports Team Owners 2019: Steve Ballmer Leads As David Tepper Leaps Atop NFL List". Forbes.
- ^ Lozano, Juan A. (10 January 2024). "Houston Texans owner is fighting son's claims that she's incapacitated and needs guardian". AP News. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "Son's guardianship bid for Texans owner dropped". ESPN.com. Associated Press. 27 February 2024. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Alexander, Jonathan (March 26, 2024). "Cal McNair unanimously approved as Texans' principal owner by NFL, solidifying team's future". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on 26 March 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
- ^ Wilson, Aaron; Chronicle, Houston (August 12, 2019). "Texans' Janice McNair donating $5.5 million to Pro-Vision Inc". Houston Chronicle.
- ^ Wilson, Aaron (5 August 2020). "Texans owner Janice McNair pledges $1 million toward rent relief program". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 7 May 2021.