The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with Peter Bynoe


Overview of the Item
	Repository:	The HistoryMakers
		1900 S. Michigan Avenue
		Chicago, Illinois 60616
		(312) 674-1900
		info@thehistorymakers.com
		http://www.thehistorymakers.com
	Interviewer:	Julieanna Richardson
	Videographer:	Paul Bieschke
	Title:	Video Oral History Interview with Peter Bynoe
	Dates:	March 28, 2000
	Abstract:	(ABSTRACT)
	Quantity:	4 Betacam SP videocassettes, 1 half-Hollinger box containing (NUMBER) folders of accompanying materials.
	Identification:	A2000.013
	Language:	The interviews and records are in English

Biographical Note

Born of a West Indian father and an American mother, Peter Bynoe credits his parents with instilling in him the exemplary work ethic that has made him a leading entrepreneur. He received his bachelor's, master's and law degrees from Harvard University before entering the business world in 1976 as a Citibank executive intern. The following year, Bynoe became vice president of James Lowry and Associates, a position he held until 1982, when he founded Telemat Ltd., a business consulting firm.

In 1989, Bynoe broke ground as the first minority owner of an NBA franchise, a goal he accomplished through a partnership with fellow Chicago entrepreneur Bertram Lee, tennis legend Arthur Ashe and Democratic National Committeee Chairman Ron Brown. This collective purchased the Denver Nuggets for $65 million. As the first African American owner, he set a precedent that has opened the doors of sports management for all minorities. In 1992, after designing and supervising the complete reorganization of the team, he sold his interest in the franchise.

After his involvement with the NBA, Peter Bynoe joined the prestigious law firm of Rudnick & Wolfe, where he has served on the firm's management committee since 1995. For Bynoe, sports have served as a staging ground for race relations and African American advancement. He uses his position as a lawyer to facilitate the construction of professional sports stadiums, including venues for the Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins. Bynoe also manages some of Rudnick & Wolfe's most important clients, including Bank of America and the city of Chicago.

Bynoe is heavily involved in the Chicago civic community as director of the Chicago Economic Club, chairman of the Chicago Planning Commission and director of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. Bynoe also serves as a director of the UniRoyal Technology Corporation.

Biographical Note by The HistoryMakers®

Scope and Contents

This life oral history interview with Peter Bynoe was conducted by Julieanna Richardson on 3/28/2000 in Piper, Rudnick Office and is recorded on 4 30-minute Betacam SP videocassettes. Access copies exist on Betacam SP, VHS, DVD and MPEG-1. The interview contains information on (COMPLETE ONE SENTENCE DESCRIPTION OF INTERVIEW). Accompanying materials in the collection include Peter Bynoe's correspondence with The HistoryMakers® related to the interview; a copy of the signed release form and the production report; the biographical information used by the interviewer to prepare for the interview (DETAILS); paper copies of the interview transcripts, 3 1/2" floppy disks with electronic copies of the transcripts; selected quotes for video clips; photocopies of photographs captured on video; XML files with metadata created in editing and cataloguing the interview for The HistoryMakers Digital Video Library; and paper copies of these XML files.

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Access to paper records is restricted. Other restrictions may be applied on a case-by-case basis.

Restrictions on Use

All use of materials must be pre-approved by The HistoryMakers® and appropriate credit must be given. All use credits must be pre-approved by The HistoryMakers®. Copyright is held by The HistoryMakers®.


Index Terms
	This record series is indexed under the following controlled access terms.
	Contributors:
		Bieschke, Paul
		Bynoe, Peter
		Richardson, Julieanna
	Persons:
		(PERSONS)
	Corporate Bodies:
		(CORPORATE BODIES)
	Family Names:
		Bynoe
	Places:
		(PLACES)
	Subjects:
		(SUBJECTS)
	Document Types:
		Video oral history interview
	Titles:
		The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with Peter Bynoe

Related Material

Accompanying materials: Accompanying materials are filed in (NUMBER) folders in a half-Hollinger box and shelved at The HistoryMakers® Archives and Collection Library by accession number, separately from the videos.

Administrative Information

Location of Originals

Betacam, VHS, DVD and MPEG-1 access copies are held for in-house use at The HistoryMakers®; Betacam SP, VHS and DVD playback hardware is provided for in-house viewing of the access copies; MPEG-1 copies are searchable and viewable via a digital video database.

Preferred Citation

The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with Peter Bynoe, March 28, 2000. The HistoryMakers® African American Video Oral History Collection, 1900 S. Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois.

Detailed Description/Tape Listings

Video Oral History Interview with Peter Bynoe, Tape 1, March 28, 2000, TRT: 00:29:13.

Video Oral History Interview with Peter Bynoe, Tape 2, March 28, 2000, TRT: 00:29:51.

Boston was a place of great social upheaval during Bynoe's youth. Segregation and racism were a fact of life in one of America's first cities. He talks about his father's legal practice and political/social involvement with some major players on the politcal stage.Bynoe then reminisces about the impact the Vietnam War had on his life and friends lives. Attending Harvard College shaped Bynoe's life and career choices, particularly his ability to recognize great opportunites . This segment closes with Bynoe's account of the battle to create and Afro-American Studies Department at Harvard.

Video Oral History Interview with Peter Bynoe, Tape 3, March 28, 2000, TRT: 00:28:04.

Peter Bynoe discusses just how he came to be an entrepreneur. He attributes his success to being at the right place at the right time and knowing a great opportunity when it presents itself. Bynoe attributes a great part of his achievement to the mentorship of Mayor Harold Washington and the opportunities his tenure presented a young black real estate developer. Bynoe laments the lack of black mentorship he received in Chicago and notes that white businessmen backed him instead. He details how many of these same businessmen backed him when he decided to purchase the Denver Nuggets, making him the first black general managing partner of a major NBA franchise. Finally, Bynoe ponders the state of black ownership of professional sports teams.

Video Oral History Interview with Peter Bynoe, Tape 4, March 28, 2000, TRT: 00:18:38.

In reflecting on his legacy as a black entrepreneur, Peter Bynoe weaves the threads of his life into a complete work. He sees his life as a continuation of what his father began, not merely a reflection of it. Bynoe ponders the future of black America and the impact of the "digital divide" on black acheivement. He wraps up the interview with his assessment of his legacy, who the most influential businesspeople are in his life and conjectures about what advice his father would offer to him now.