John Robert Beyster

Who is John Robert Beyster?

Dr. John Robert Beyster is the founder of Science Applications International Corporation. He was Chairman of the Board until his retirement in July 2004, and also served as Chief Executive Officer until November 2003. A recognized authority on national security and reactor physics, Dr. Beyster committed 35 years of his life to building SAIC on the founding tenets of employee ownership and technical excellence. In recent years, he has extended this commitment to the American business community by founding two nonprofit organizations to assist organizations considering employee ownership—the Beyster Institute and the Foundation for Enterprise Development.

Dr. Beyster was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1924, and grew up in Grosse Ile, Michigan. He attended school at Slocum Truax High School in Trenton, Michigan, and was salutatorian of his graduating class. As he was preparing to graduate from high school, the United States entered World War II, and he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was sent to college at the University of Michigan, where he was enrolled in the V12 Officer Training Program.