Remembering the Life of Donald J. Hall

Kansas City, Mo. (October 15, 2024) – Kansas City civic leader and philanthropist Donald J. Hall passed away October 13, 2024, at home surrounded by his loving family. He was 96.

Born July 9, 1928 in Kansas City, Missouri, Don was the son of Hallmark founder J.C. Hall and his wife, Elizabeth. He grew up in and around the family business, officially joining Hallmark at age 17 as an assistant salesman and working a territory while majoring in economics at Dartmouth College.

After graduation, Don left the company to serve his country in the U.S. Army, spending much of his military career as an officer at a base in Gifu, Japan.

Don returned to Hallmark in 1953 and assumed leadership positions, becoming administrative vice president in 1958 and president and chief executive officer in 1966. “My father lived our beliefs and values his whole lifetime, and his ability to translate them in a way that others could understand will remain part of his lasting legacy,” Don’s son, Donald Hall, Jr. said. “He truly believed that Hallmark’s purpose was to enrich people’s lives, and you continue to see that reflected in our brand and our people today.”

In 1983, Don moved from the position of president to chairman, and in 2016, he became chairman emeritus, a role he held until his death.

Don also chaired the Hall Family Foundation, the private philanthropic organization formed from the estates of J.C. and Elizabeth Hall to enhance the quality of human life in the Kansas City area. The foundation has served as a catalyst and community partner for Kansas City-area charities since its start in 1943.

“Don led Hallmark through its greatest period of growth, and our brands – Hallmark, Crayola and Hallmark Media – are beloved because of his leadership,” said Mike Perry, president and CEO of Hallmark. “He led the introduction of new product lines and development of Hallmark’s network of independent retailers. Don oversaw the development of Crown Center in Kansas City and the acquisition of Crayola in 1984. He took great pride in the Hallmark Hall of Fame, maintaining his father’s commitment to high-quality family entertainment and continued to review scripts and production details even as he stepped back from day-to-day roles with the company.”

Don loved his hometown, Kansas City. He believed in its people, its potential and its future, a commitment he shared with his late wife, Adele. Backing that belief with unyielding community support, Don’s influence was felt – often in behind-the-scenes roles where he was most comfortable – in virtually every major civic project from the 1960s through the early 2000s.

Starting in the late 1960s, the vision of Don and his father J.C. Hall led to the development of the Crown Center complex, a “city-within-a-city” on the land surrounding Hallmark’s headquarters in Kansas City. As an early example of urban revitalization and one of the nation’s first mixed-use redevelopments, this project turned a blighted 85-acre section of the city into a thriving retail, residential, office and entertainment complex that today welcomes more than 5 million visitors each year.

He was a founding member of the Kansas City Community Foundation, and with other civic leaders was a guiding force behind the early 1970s “Prime Time” news bureau effort that gave Kansas City a burst of national attention and was credited with attracting the 1976 Republican National Convention to Kansas City. He also helped establish the Kansas City Area Economic Development Council to attract new businesses to the region.

As chairman of the Civic Council, he brought civic interests together to establish the Kansas City Neighborhood Alliance and the Kansas City Minority Supplier Development Council (later the Mid-America Minority Business Development Council).

“He was deeply committed to the Kansas City community, understanding the importance of giving back and fostering inclusive prosperity,” Don’s son, David Hall, said. “He took special pride in his work with the Minority Supplier Development Council. He firmly believed it was essential for the business community to contribute toward a better future for everyone.”

Don was a consistent champion of the United Way of Greater Kansas City. In later years, he supported the region’s life sciences initiatives, worked to achieve the University of Kansas Cancer Center’s successful designation as a National Cancer Institute, and led efforts to establish the Children’s Research Institute at Children’s Mercy Hospital. Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he recognized the importance of creating the Kansas City Regional COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, which provided critical funding for nonprofits dealing with the human tragedy caused by the pandemic.

He was a decades-long supporter of Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, serving on the Board of Trustees for 31 years. He recognized the importance of photography as an art form, and in the 1960s he began building the Hallmark Photographic Collection. It became a world-class collection that was eventually given to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in 2005 and supported since then by substantial gifts from the Hall Family Foundation. The museum recognized Don’s years of service and support in 2013 when it unveiled the modern sculpture collection as the Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park.

Over the years, Don was a gracious recipient of awards and board positions. President George H.W. Bush appointed Don to serve as chairman of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. He also served on the board of the National Minority Supplier Development Council. President Ronald Reagan awarded Don the National Medal of Arts in 1985. In 1982, Don received the Governor’s Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for Hallmark’s contributions through the Hallmark Hall of Fame. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from alma mater Dartmouth College in 2000. In 2005, Don served on the boards of the Kansas City Symphony, the Missouri Repertory Theater (later the Kansas City Repertory Theatre), the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and the Full Employment Council. He was a past chairman of the board of Midwest Research Institute (now MRIGlobal). 

Don received the Kansas Citian of the Year Award in 1972 from the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City and the Philanthropist of the Year award in 1985 from the Greater Kansas City Council on Philanthropy. In 1993, Don was honored with a Midwest Research Institute Trustee Citation. His keen interest in architecture, so evident in Kansas City’s Crown Center development, was acknowledged with an award of excellence from the Kansas City Architectural Foundation in 1985 and an honorary membership in the American Institute of Architects.

Don was married to Adele until her death in 2013. He was the father of three children: Don, Jr.; David; and Margaret. Don had nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He was also a decades-long member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.

More information about Don’s life is available on a tribute website created in his loving memory.