Estate of Mrs. Grace Lyon

The Grace Lyon/Dr. Pepper Endowed Scholarship was established in 1992. This scholarship was created through a gift from the estate of Mrs. Grace Lyon. Grace Prim Lyon was a pioneer in the soft drink industry. She inherited the Dublin Dr. Pepper Bottling Company in 1946 from her father, Sam Houston Prim, who founded it in 1891. The Dublin plant is the world’s oldest Dr. Pepper bottling plant.

Following her husband’s death, and then her father’s death soon after, Mrs. Lyon assumed a leadership role in a business that was traditionally male-dominated. She was a hands-on owner, working each day with a staff who learned to respect her leadership abilities and to admire her personal integrity. With the help of her general manager, William Kloster, the decision was made to continue using Imperial Pure Cane Sugar in spite of the rising price. Because all other bottling companies were switching to the less expensive corn sweeteners, the commitment to retain the sugar recipe put the plant into a unique position in an aggressive and competitive market.

Mrs. Lyon died in 1991 at the age of 92. Ironically, she passed away on the morning that the plant was preparing to celebrate its 100th birthday. Because Mrs. Lyon had no children, she left the plant to her manager, William Kloster and his wife, Iona. Mr. Kloster died in 1999, leaving the plant to his son and grandsons. The endowment provides scholarships for students majoring in business administration.