Robert A. Schoellhorn was a top executive at the north suburban health care supplier and manufacturer Abbott Laboratories for 17 years.
"He was an internationalist who took Abbott more and more into the international scene," said O. Ralph Edwards, former Abbott vice president of human resources.
Schoellhorn, 88, died of natural causes on Jan. 11 at his home in West Palm Beach, Fla., said his son Steve. A former Highland Park resident, Schoellhorn also had homes in Eugene, Ore., and Raleigh, N.C., and a ranch in Texas.
Born in Philadelphia, Schoellhorn received a bachelor’s degree from the Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science, now Philadelphia University. He served stateside in the Army as a chemist.
During and after college, Schoellhorn worked for chemical manufacturer American Cyanamid, a defunct conglomerate, most of which is now part of Pfizer. During a 26-year career at American Cyanamid, Schoellhorn rose to become president and general manager of the company’s pharmaceutical unit.
In 1973, Schoellhorn joined Abbott as an executive vice president. Three years later, he was named Abbott’s president and chief operating officer, and he became CEO in 1979 and chairman in 1981.
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Schoellhorn led Abbott during a period of extensive, consistent growth. He also kept the business diverse, with hospital and lab products, consumer products, animal health products and professional pharmaceutical products.
Schoellhorn announced in December 1989 that he would exit as Abbott’s chairman and CEO. The announcement came four months after the forced resignation of Schoellhorn’s president and chief operating officer, who had been Schoellhorn’s third potential successor to resign within nine years.
The Tribune reported in December 1989 that Abbott’s board then set up a special committee to review succession issues, and the panel found that many Abbott managers viewed Schoellhorn as a stern taskmaster who felt threatened by those working for him.
Several months later, Schoellhorn was ousted as chairman and sued Abbott in Cook County Circuit Court in an effort to retain his job. He also charged that he was threatened with "severe personal humiliation and drastic economic sanctions," according to the suit.
Abbott responded in the suit that Schoellhorn had misappropriated corporate assets for personal use, including Abbott’s aircraft, and was guilty of fraud. That prompted an angry rejoinder from Schoellhorn, which his daughter delivered at Abbott’s annual meeting in April 1990.
The two sides settled the lawsuit in July 1990, allowing Schoellhorn to officially retire from Abbott and collect more than $5 million in cash.
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After leaving Abbott, Schoellhorn bought a 37-foot motor home and hit the road. He didn’t much care for the brand he bought, and looked at a luxury bus conversion made by Coburg, Ore.-based Marathon Coach. He "fell in love because it was a higher-level (RV) like a yacht or a private jet interior on the inside," his son said.
Schoellhorn quickly became an investor in the company. He bought 23 percent of the firm in January 1992. The following year, he boosted his ownership to 93 percent, and by 1994, he bought the last seven percent of the firm, becoming its sole owner. Today, Marathon Coach has 220 employees.
Under Schoellhorn’s leadership, Marathon Coach bought bus shells and converted them into luxury motor coaches. He also bought a 50 percent stake in an RV resort near Palm Springs, Calif., in 1995.
"He enjoyed the customers and spent his time going to five-day customer events, so he was able to spend his time with customers, who he enjoyed and they enjoyed him," his son said.
Edwards served on Marathon’s board for 18 years.
"He did a good job building (Marathon)," Edwards said. "And it was interesting to see how he transformed his managerial skills to run a much smaller company."
Schoellhorn eventually pulled back from Marathon in the early 2000s, and his son took over day-to-day operations in 2006. Despite the turmoil at the close of his career with Abbott, he never lost his affection for the company, his son said.
"My dad was committed to Abbott and was proud of everybody who was there, and all through his tenure and even after he was not there, Abbott was close to his heart until the day he died," his son said. "He was at peace and considered the whole Abbott community his friends."
Two previous marriages ended in divorce. In addition to his son, Schoellhorn is survived by his third wife, Kay; another son, Robert; a daughter, Jennifer Kovalenko; three stepdaughters, Katherine Messenger, Eleanor Hunter and Allison Sullivan; and 12 grandchildren.
A private memorial service is being planned.
Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
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