Don O. Walsworth

Don Walsworth is the Chief Executive Officer of Walsworth, the 31st largest printing company in the United States and among the top three yearbook printers. The company is a top-five book and magazine printer, a catalog printer, and the only family-owned printer of yearbooks. The company operates from administrative offices and book printing and binding facilities in Marceline, Missouri; a prepress facility in Brookfield, Missouri; a sales and marketing office in Overland Park, Kansas; and magazine and catalog printing facilities in Saint Joseph, Michigan; Ripon, Wisconsin; and Fulton, Missouri. Additionally, Walsworth owns the Donning Company Publishers, a specialty book publisher.

He graduated from the University of Missouri in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science degree in education, completed post graduate studies at Carnegie Mellon University in printing management, and then began his career with Walsworth that same year. Ten years later, in 1967, Don became the company’s president.

Don has received numerous recognitions throughout his career but is especially honored to have been named the Small Businessman of the Year for the Missouri-Kansas Region by the Small Business Administration in 1975. Former Governor John Ashcroft appointed Don to the Missouri State Highway and Transportation Commission in 1985, of which he was chairman in 1991-92. Former Governor Bob Holden appointed Don to the University of Missouri System Board of Curators in 2003, where he served for six years.

In 2004, Don was nominated and received the prestigious business honor of Missouri/Kansas Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Manufacturing. In September, 2007, Don was awarded the prestigious Missourian Award. This award is bestowed upon Missourians who have made outstanding contributions to their state in civics, business, arts or politics.