Lonnie "Bo" Pilgrim

Lonnie Alfred "Bo" Pilgrim (May 8, 1928 – July 21, 2017) was the co-founder of Pilgrim's Pride, which at one time was one of the largest chicken producers in the United States. Pilgrim founded Pilgrim's Pride when he opened a feed store in 1946 in Pittsburg, Texas, with his older brother, Aubrey. He became the CEO of the company upon the death of his brother Aubrey in 1966,[1] eventually amassing a net worth of $1 billion US.[2]

In 1989, when the Texas Senate was debating a bill to make major changes to the state workers' compensation system,[3] Pilgrim handed out $10,000 US checks to nine of the 31 state senators while on the Senate floor two days before the vote. Pilgrim was not a supporter of the bill, and defended his actions by saying the checks were campaign contributions, not an attempt at bribery.[4] The episode led to changes in the state's ethics laws.[2]

In addition to his holdings in Pilgrim's Pride, Pilgrim was also a principal shareholder of NETEX Bancorporation, a bank holding company which operated Pilgrim Bank, a bank with branches in Pittsburg and nearby Mount Pleasant.

Pilgrim was also a noted philanthropist, giving money to many different charities and community organizations, including Dallas Baptist University to build the Pilgrim Chapel[5] as well as the Patty and Bo Pilgrim Cancer Center in Mount Pleasant.[6]

Pilgrim gave the maximum amount allowed by law to Jeb Bush's 2016 Presidential Campaign.[7] He was a frequent contributor to conservative politicians. For several consecutive years he would donate $25,000 to the NRCC.

Pilgrim died on July 21, 2017, in Pittsburg, Texas. He was 89 years old.[8]