- New Developments
- Warren Rosenthal
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When students graduate from the University of Kentucky, their in town and 1 made great friends in my child— :3: it"s‘t'. Tia
career paths often take them in interesting directions. Certainly hood and youth. And the Boy Scouts were 2:9,,- 1!’ J ‘j
that could be said for Warren Rosenthal ’47 BE, who managed to an important part of my early teens. Life was :; . . .. lg;
launch a business career with three small diners in Lexington and most enjoyable.” I‘ "u :8:- $3.6.
parlayed them into three Kentucky—based restaurant chains with But when Rosenthal was age 15, his k ‘ 2-" ‘29:.“
more than 1,500 locations in 37 states and two other countries. mother died of pneumonia. She was only 38

Jerry’s Drive—In, LongJOhn Silver’s Seafood Shoppe and Fazoli’s years old. “From that time on,” he recalls, “it 77% 3% Smarts were
are more than just names of successful restaurants. They are part of was just my brother, dad, grandma and me.” LIMPOVm/Lt to Rosenthal
the modern American vernacular and are known to millions. But When it came time for Rosenthal to attend as [/1 yo M i“ fem.
perhaps not as well—known is the quiet philanthropy of Rosenthal college, there was no question about where he 1
to many worthy causes including his alma mater. would go for his first two years of study. His father and

“Warren Rosenthal is a UK alum who has had phenomenal some other townspeople had founded Paducah Junior College sev—
success in business,” observes Mike Richey ’73 ’79 AG, UK vice eral years earlier in 1932. “Many people couldn’t afford to send
president for Development. “His extraordinary entrepreneurial their children away to school,” he explains. “There were 300 stu—
accomplishments are exceeded only by his generosity and his dents there when 1 attended. Funds were not paid by the city, but
heart for helping others in transformational ways. His success were raised in the community and through tuition.
story is intriguing, and his volunteerism and philanthropic giv— “Dad was prepared to pay my way through junior college, but 1
ing are inspiring.” told him, “No. 1 will pay for it.” The cost was $90 a semester.”

A Kentucky native A top secret Army cryptographer

Rosenthal is a fourth generation Kentuckian and a child of the After finishing two years of college, Ro senthal volunteered for
Great Depression. He spent his early life in Paducah. His great— service in the US. Army. The year was 1943 and World War 11 was
grandfather was a riverboat captain and had settled there. His raging. He trained at Camp Lee, Va., and was then assigned to the
grandfather ran a grocery store and a cigar factory. And his father signal corps as a cryptographer. He spent 33 months in India as—
had a wholesale dry goods business. signed to Gen. Joseph Stilwell’s headquarters.

“Paducah was a wonderful place to grow up,” Rosenthal remem— “1 had a great experience with Stilwell,” Rosenthal reflects. “1 was
bers fondly. “It was a little town of 35,000 people and there was no his top secret communicator night and day. 1 coded and decoded
need to lock our doors night or day. 1 could ride my bike anywhere messages all the time. Of course, 1couldn’t talk about the content
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