Early Life
Drayton McLane Jr. was born in Cameron, Texas, on July 22, 1936. His father, Drayton McLane Sr., owned a wholesale grocery distribution center, the McLane Company, which had been founded by Drayton's grandfather in 1894. At the age of nine, Drayton began working in the family business, learning the fundamentals by sweeping floors and stacking inventory during summers and Saturdays.
Rise to Success
After graduating from C.H. Yoe High School in Cameron in 1954, McLane earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Baylor University in 1958 and a Master of Business Administration in marketing from Michigan State University in 1959. He returned to the family business and worked his way up, eventually becoming president and CEO of the McLane Company in 1965. Under his leadership, the company experienced substantial growth. McLane expanded the family business from a $3 million-a-year operation into a $19 billion enterprise. In 1990, he sold McLane Company to Sam Walton for cash and Walmart shares.
Key Business Strategies
McLane's success was marked by his strategic use of computer-based technology to enhance the distribution system. This technological adoption was key to the company's expansion, and the addition of 16 distribution facilities across the US helped to fuel the company's growth.
Philanthropy
McLane is known for his extensive philanthropic activities. He has been a major benefactor of Baylor University, where the McLane Student Life Center, McLane Carillons, and McLane Stadium are named in his honor. He has also supported the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and is actively involved with Baylor Scott & White Healthcare, where a children's medical center bears his name.