Few Memphis families have had such an impact on Memphis. Barbara is chairman and CEO of the Hyde Family Foundation. Known, along with her husband, for her advocacy and involvement in public education reform, she has led numerous efforts to bring innovative education initiatives to Memphis, most notably the KIPP Academy, Teach for America, and New Leaders. As a founding member and past chair of the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, she led the master planning and fundraising efforts to transform the park into a world-class amenity. She is a board member of Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, KIPP Memphis, New Leaders, Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, UNC Capital Campaign Committee, Complete Tennessee, and Yale University Gallery Governing Board.
J.R. “Pitt” Hyde founded AutoZone in 1979, one of three Fortune 500 companies with its headquarters in Memphis. After a successful career in business and following his retirement in 1997, Hyde has become one of the leading philanthropists in the city, instrumental in founding the Memphis Bioworks Foundation, Memphis Tomorrow, and National Civil Rights Museum, and was part of the civic partnership that helped bring the NBA Grizzlies to Memphis.
