Benno C. Schmidt Sr.

Benno Charles Schmidt Sr. (January 10, 1913 – October 21, 1999) was an American lawyer and venture capitalist who was active in New York City civic affairs and played an important role in the initiation of the War on Cancer.

[1] Born in Abilene, Texas, Schmidt grew up in that city in a household that was not financially well-off, but placed an emphasis on education.

[1][2] In late 1945, Jock Whitney invited him to join a new business he wanted to start to finance new companies seeking to capitalize on newly identified markets and social needs.

[1] Schmidt championed that investment over the Whitney's initial concern about the "tinny" taste of the company's orange juice concentrate.

[1] Schmidt served on the boards of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, CBS and Freeport-McMoRan, among others.