35 Facts About Tom Monaghan

Thomas Stephen Monaghan was born on March 25,1937 and is an American entrepreneur who founded Domino's Pizza in 1960.

Tom Monaghan owned the Detroit Tigers from 1983 to 1992.

Tom Monaghan owns the Domino's Farms Office Park, located in the Ann Arbor Charter Township, Michigan, which he first started building during 1984.

Tom Monaghan is a devout Christian Catholic and announced his retirement in 1998 after 38 years with Domino's Pizza Inc Tom Monaghan sold 93 percent of the company to Bain Capital, Inc for about $1 billion, ceased being involved in day-to-day operations of the company, and subsequently dedicated his time and considerable fortune to Catholic causes.

In 1956, Tom Monaghan enlisted in the United States Marine Corps by mistake; he had meant to join the Army.

Tom Monaghan returned to Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1959, and enrolled in the University of Michigan, intending to become an architect.

Tom Monaghan dropped sub sandwiches from the menu and focused on delivery to college campuses, inventing a new insulated pizza box to improve delivery.

In December 2011, Tom Monaghan embarked on his second quick service restaurant brand by starting Gyrene Burger Company.

At Gyrene Burger, Tom Monaghan provided franchise incentives to eligible Marines and veterans of the other military branches.

The wealth Tom Monaghan amassed from Domino's Pizza enabled a lavish lifestyle.

Lewis on pride, Tom Monaghan divested himself of most of his more ostentatious possessions, including the Detroit Tigers in 1992.

Tom Monaghan gave up his lavish office suite at Domino's headquarters, replete with leather-tiled floors and an array of expensive Frank Lloyd Wright furnishings, turning it into a corporate reception room.

Tom Monaghan ceased construction on a huge Wright-inspired mansion that was to be his home.

In 1983, Tom Monaghan bought the Detroit Tigers, who won the World Series a year later.

Tom Monaghan became close to Major League Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn, who remained a close friend, business associate and participant in his many philanthropic works.

Tom Monaghan ultimately sold the Tigers to his competitor Mike Ilitch of Little Caesar's Pizza in 1992.

Shortly before giving up control of the team, Tom Monaghan made the much-maligned and eventually reversed decision to fire legendary broadcaster Ernie Harwell.

Tom Monaghan is an admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture, and the Domino's headquarters in Ann Arbor Township, Michigan strongly resembles Wright's Prairie School architecture adapted to a larger scale.

Tom Monaghan has been one of the foremost collectors of Wright artifacts, including an oak dining room table and chairs for which he paid $1.6 million.

Tom Monaghan purchased a portion of Drummond Island in Michigan, where he created a private resort complex featuring buildings designed in the style of Wright, and later sold it to Clifton Haley and Denny Bailey.

Tom Monaghan is a Roman Catholic with a particular interest in pro-life causes.

Tom Monaghan established or helped establish a number of Catholic organizations and educational establishments.

The orchestral Ave Maria Mass, by composer Stephen Edwards, was commissioned by Tom Monaghan "to express in music the spiritual commitment behind the founding of Ave Maria College and Ave Maria School of Law".

Tom Monaghan publicly promotes daily attendance at Mass, daily recitation of the rosary and frequent sacramental confession.

Tom Monaghan has committed to spending what remains of his $1 billion fortune on philanthropic endeavors.

Tom Monaghan is founder and CEO of Legatus International, an organization of business Executives, Presidents, CEOs, and their spouses who are committed to studying, living and spreading the Catholic faith.

Tom Monaghan is reputed to be a member of Opus Dei and has been aligned with a number of other conservative Catholic organizations and causes.

Tom Monaghan is a donor to Priests for Life, a Roman Catholic anti-abortion organization.

Tom Monaghan is a knight of magistral grace in the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

Professors Stephen Safranek, Mollie Murphy, Richard Myers and Joseph Falvey, setting out to form a new orthodox Catholic law school, presented their idea to Tom Monaghan to provide significant funding through his Ave Maria Foundation.

Tom Monaghan served as president of the school's Board of Governors.

In various attempts to accelerate accreditation, Tom Monaghan acquired St Mary's College of Orchard Lake and a campus in Nicaragua, renamed Ave Maria College of the Americas.

In early 2002 Tom Monaghan sought to establish the Ave Maria University in Ann Arbor, at Domino's Farms, the large corporate office park that he owned and leased to Domino's Pizza.

Tom Monaghan said in 2005 that any town retailers would not be allowed to sell contraceptives or pornography, a statement that drew legal criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union.

Tom Monaghan has been active in Republican Party politics, and was one of the key financial backers of Sam Brownback in his 2008 presidential campaign.