Civic leader Robert Shell has given millions to charities, and it all began with lessons learned from his parents as a young boy.
By Kasey Madden
HQ 101 | SPRING 2018
At 9-years-old, Robert Shell Jr. had his first job delivering papers in his hometown of Logan, West Virginia. But before the youngster could spend his first paycheck, his father insisted that he tithe 10 percent of his earnings to their church.
“Of course at first, I was a little resentful,” Shell recently recalled. “I thought, ‘What does that have to do with me delivering newspapers?’ And then to my chagrin, my mother instructed me to give another 10 percent of whatever I made to a charity. As a result, from a very early age I began donating 20 percent of everything I made.”
Shell has come a long way professionally since his days of delivering newspapers. He entered the family business in 1968 where his father, Robert L. Shell Sr., was the co-owner of two businesses — Guyan Machinery in Logan and Permco, a hydraulic pump manufacturing plant in Streetsboro, Ohio. Though the businesses were successful at the time, it would be the younger Shell who would ultimately buy out the other owners and transform the companies into a thriving international operation that stretches from the United States to Africa, from Switzerland to China. Today Permco employs 700 people worldwide. Its hydraulic pumps can be found around the globe in such industries as mining, drilling, construction, timber, waste management and more.
Yet through all the growth and success, Shell has always remembered the lessons ingrained in him by his parents. In the last three decades, the Shells have donated more than $5 million to some 120 charities and organizations locally and around the world. These are just a few examples:
• In 1997, Shell learned that students at Kellogg Elementary School in West Huntington needed computers, so he set out to raise funds to build a new computer lab. He even took it a step further, personally hiring a full-time computer specialist to manage the lab not just during school hours, but after school and in summer as well.
“Bob Shell is one of the most generous men I know, especially when it comes to children’s causes,” said former Judge Dan O’Hanlon. “He has given freely of his time and money to make the lives of many children in this community better.”
• He established a scholarship program in southern West Virginia to give residents the opportunity to attend a community and technical college. Graduates then have the option to obtain an advanced degree at a major four-year institution.
• When a devastating 8.0 magnitude earthquake struck Chengdu, China, in 2008, Shell became the single largest private donor to help the people of the city rebuild.
• The most recent addition to the Shell family philanthropic legacy is the Robert and Lena Shell Digital Learning Center at the new indoor practice facility at Marshall University. The learning center grew out of an idea the Shells had to help student-athletes by providing them with a dedicated place to study and receive tutoring.
“The people of Cabell County need to know how fortunate they are to have somebody with a heart as big as that county,” said United States Senator Joe Manchin. “He flies under the radar and shuns notoriety. But he’ll go to whatever lengths it takes to help someone in need, and I don’t know if people have seen that soft side of Bob Shell.”
Shell has done more than donate money to dozens of worthy causes in the region; he has also donated his time. He is a past chairman of the Marshall University Board of Governors and Marshall Artists Series, and over the years he has been honored in numerous ways including induction into the Huntington Wall of Fame, Marshall Business Hall of Fame and WVU Business Hall of Fame.
Reflecting upon a lifetime of giving, Shell said he has been inspired by a number of people along the way.
“You look back and realize your attitudes about charity and giving probably came from what you learned from other people,” Shell said. “My mother Doris was one of the founders of Locks of Love, a nonprofit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.”
Another example of what Shell learned from others occurred in 1970 following the Marshall plane crash. He distinctly recalls hearing how Carroll Rosenbloom, the owner of the Los Angeles Rams at the time, donated $50,000 to help Marshall build the Memorial Fountain when fund-raising efforts stalled.
“I was so taken aback by that,” Shell recalled. “I thought, ‘Here’s a guy from Los Angeles who’s giving what was a significant amount of money back then to people who are hurting.’ That has always stuck with me.”
Shell’s approach to giving is to ensure that the causes and organizations he assists are funded in perpetuity.
“It’s one thing to write a check and forget it, but it’s another thing to establish something that does well and has positive collateral results,” he explained. “The best thing about making money is it gives you the ability to make a difference in the lives of others.”
In recent years Shell has faced some serious health challenges. As a result, he is required to undergo dialysis treatment four days a week. He is in need of a kidney transplant but to date has not been able to locate a suitable match.
From helping put students through college to aiding earthquake victims 10,000 miles away to supporting local charities like the Ronald McDonald House, the Boys & Girls Club and so many more, the Shell family’s generosity has impacted countless lives around the world. And it all began with the lessons Shell learned from his parents while growing up in the hills of West Virginia.
ROBERT SHELL FAMILY CONTRIBUTIONS
The following is a partial list of the 120 charities the Shell family has contributed to in the last 25 years:
“Ashes to Glory” Documentary
Autism Services Center
Barboursville Police Department
Boys & Girls Club
Boy Scouts of America
Cabell County Public Library
Cabell Huntington Hospital Foundation
City of Huntington Foundation
Faith United Methodist Church
Foundation for the Tri-State
Golden Girls Group Home
Hospice of Huntington
Huntington City Mission
Huntington High School
Huntington Little League 3
Huntington Police Department
Huntington Museum of Art
Huntington Symphony Orchestra
Lily’s Place
Little Victories Animal Rescue
Marshall Artists Series
Marshall University Foundation
MU Fife and Drum Corps
MU H.E.L.P. Program
Paramount Arts Center
Prichard Dialysis Center
Ronald McDonald House
Spring Valley High School
St. Mary’s Foundation
The Education Alliance
The Keith-Albee Seat Campaign
United Way of the River Cities
