LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring distinguished business leader and visionary Donald M. Kendall and commending him for his dedication to his profession and his community

WHEREAS, In the course of the evolving development of this Empire State, when the ingredients of shared concern and responsive endeavor combine in commitment to community, there emerge among the distinguished citi- zenry of the State of New York, certain individuals who warrant special recognition; and WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to pay tribute to and congratulate Donald M. Kendall, Co-Founder and former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo Inc., upon the occasion of celebrating his 90th Birthday on March 16, 2011, an auspicious occasion which will be joyously celebrated on Monday, March 21, 2011, at the PepsiCo world headquarters in Purchase, New York; and WHEREAS, A native of Sequim, Washington, Donald M. Kendall is a gradu- ate of Western Kentucky State College; and WHEREAS, Following his distinguished service as a Naval aviator in the Second World War, he joined the Pepsi-Cola Company as a fountain syrup sales representative and advanced from sales to managing a sales crew, to managing sales for all company-operated plants; and WHEREAS, In 1951 he became Assistant National Sales Manager, and a year later was promoted to Vice President in charge of national sales; in 1956 he became Vice President in charge of marketing for the United States, with responsibility for all sales, advertising and promotion; and WHEREAS, in 1957, Donald M. Kendall became President of Pepsi-Cola's overseas operations; under his leadership Pepsi-Cola's international presence expanded dramatically and the number of countries in which Pepsi-Cola was available more than doubled and sales tripled; and WHEREAS, As he helped to grow the company internationally, he famously introduced Pepsi-Cola to the USSR, where it was the first foreign consumer product to be sold; and WHEREAS, Perhaps his most renowned experience as head of the interna- tional division was in 1959, during the height of the Cold War; at the invitation of the U.S. State Department, Donald M. Kendall organized a Pepsi booth to hand out product samples to Russians at the American National Exhibition in Moscow; upon learning that Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev would visit the fair, he asked then U.S. Vice President Rich- ard Nixon to steer Premier Khrushchev to his exhibit; and WHEREAS, The following day history was made when Premier Khrushchev first drank a bottle of Pepsi produced in New York and brought over especially for the fair; then he was offered a cup of Pepsi produced in Russia from syrup brought from the U.S.; he immediately said the Russian product was superior and ordered a second cup; and as Donald M. Kendall recalls, "Predictably, he liked the local Pepsi better and performed for the press with relish, downing seven Pepsis as the flashbulbs popped"; and WHEREAS, Donald M. Kendall was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Pepsi-Cola Company in 1963; he launched a series of marketing and management innovations which accelerated the sales of Pepsi-Cola and added new products, such as Diet Pepsi-Cola and Mountain Dew, to broaden both the company's product line and its consumer base; and WHEREAS, In September 1963 at age 42, Donald M. Kendall was named President and Chief Executive Officer of the Pepsi-Cola Company; just two years into his term as CEO, he began discussions on a merger with the Frito-Lay Company; and

WHEREAS, In 1965 Donald M. Kendall engineered the merger that brought Pepsi-Cola Company together with Frito-Lay to create PepsiCo, Inc.; he was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the new company; he then was elected Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 1971, a position he held until his retirement; and WHEREAS, In 1970 Donald M. Kendall relocated the company headquarters from New York City to its current home in Purchase, New York; the 112 acre site is today home to the world renowned Donald M. Kendall Sculp- ture Gardens, which, accessible to all members of the community, not just PepsiCo's employees, at no charge, attracts more than 100,000 visi- tors annually; and WHEREAS, Donald M. Kendall's dedication also extends to the arts; he set out to reflect the company's love of change and adventure in its Purchase Headquarters; the PepsiCo World Headquarters Complex itself was designed by Edward Durell Stone in 1967, a leading American architect, while the original landscape design was created by his son, Edward Durell Stone, Jr.; and WHEREAS, As PepsiCo Inc. is very much a modern company which has always admired and prized excellence, Donald M. Kendall wanted the art at the company headquarters to reflect that noble spirit; he handpicked and positioned the 45 sculptures that are set around the headquarters, each one with its own story, and later, in 1981, he hired the English landscape architect Russell Page to extend the gardens, incorporate new features and position the sculptures in harmony with the landscape; and although the complex reflects a solid foundation of modern masters, Rodin, Calder, Moore, Miro, and Ernst, Donald M. Kendall also sought to fill out the collection with the work of newer, lesser known artists, who are nonetheless innovators in their own right; and WHEREAS, Today, thanks to the efforts of Donald M. Kendall, PepsiCo Inc. is the world's second largest food and beverage business, with annual revenues of nearly $60 billion; its businesses include Frito-Lay, Quaker, Pepsi-Cola, Tropicana and Gatorade; and WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Donald M. Kendall has been extremely active in a wide variety of key cultural, economic and political organ- izations, both domestically and internationally; his major appointments include Chairman of the National Alliance of Businessmen in 1969, where he also served as Director; first US Co-Chairman of the US-USSR Trade and Economic Council from 1973 to 1977; Chairman of the Emergency Committee for American Trade from 1969 to 1976; Chairman of the Board of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States from 1981 to 1982; Chairman of the National Center for Resource Recovery, Inc. from 1970 to 1976; Chairman of the Grocery Manufacturers of America from 1969 to 1971; and Chairman of the Board of the American Ballet Theatre from 1977 to 1983; and WHEREAS, Donald M. Kendall has been recognized as one of the giants of American industry who exemplified the American tradition of business leadership; upon his retirement in 1986, he was made a laureate of the National Business Hall of Fame; and WHEREAS, In 1987, the Board of Editors of FORTUNE magazine selected Donald M. Kendall for induction into the National Business Hall of Fame, where he joined such business legends as Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Alfred Sloan and John D. Rockefeller; and WHEREAS, Not only did Donald M. Kendall build one of the world's premier consumer products companies; he also used his position in busi- ness to serve his nation, to advance the cause of international under- standing and to promote human equality and justice; in recognition of his efforts, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund honored him with the first Equal Justice Award in 1986, in recognition of his lead- ership in public affairs and social responsibility; and WHEREAS, Recognition of his leadership has extended beyond the busi- ness world; in 1989, Donald M. Kendall was the recipient of the presti- gious George F. Kennan Award for his outstanding contribution to improv- ing U.S.-Soviet relations; and WHEREAS, Donald M. Kendall is, in addition, the recipient of honorary Doctor of Law degrees from Stetson University, DeLand, Florida; Babson College, Wellesley, Massachusetts; and Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington; he also received honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees from Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, New York; Manhattanville College, Purchase, New York; the State University of New York (SUNY), Purchase and Long Island University, Brookville, New York; and WHEREAS, By demonstrating throughout his career a genuine openness of mind, a restless searching for fresh opportunity and a spaciousness of vision often all too rare in the higher reaches of corporate life, Donald M. Kendall has provided for future generations a model of enlightened, progressive and authentic patriotism blended with true citizenship of the world and a lifelong, unshakable dedication to the cause of equal justice; and WHEREAS, This beloved business visionary has enriched the lives of those who have been privileged to know him through his joyous and sincere love for others, and through the quiescent charm and wisdom which come only from a fullness of years; and WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to publicly recog- nize those who have reached such a remarkable age and who have witnessed and celebrated the innovations, cultural developments and awesome achievements of this country during the last century, while themselves contributing to the growth and excellence of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor Donald M. Kendall's lifetime of distinction and to congratulate him upon the occasion of celebrating his 90th Birthday; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran- smitted to Donald M. Kendall.