Harry V. Quadracci

Harry V. Quadracci (January 10, 1936 – July 29, 2002) founded Quad/Graphics with his wife Elizabeth Quadracci.^[1]

Quadracci worked at W.A.Krueger, but eventually left when a managerial disagreement led to a strike. He was not included when the president of the company reached a settlement, and he felt the negotiating was done behind his back. He interpreted it as a signal that he would not eventually fulfill the role as president of the company. He then left to form his own company.^[2]

Quadracci leased a 20,000 square foot building in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. By 1974 the company had 35 employees.^[2]

In 1977, Quadracci was able to land Newsweek, and in 2000 landed National Geographic.^[2]

In 2001, Harry V. Quadracci and his wife Elizabeth Quadracci helped finance the addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum designed by Santiago Calatrava. The Quadraccis donated $10 million in a donation-matching challenge they spearheaded. The addition was named the Quadracci Pavilion.^[3]

Quadracci died at 66 years old at Pine Lake in Chenequa, Wisconsin. He suffered from an unknown medical incident which resulted in him drowning.^[2] Wisconsin probate case has his date of birth listed as January not June.

In his memorial Quad/Graphics donated 1 million dollars to Waukesha County Technical College and named a newer area of the school the Harry V. Quadracci Printing and Graphics Center.

The $1 million gift came from Quad/Graphics clients, friends, vendors, and employees who donated to the Harry V. Quadracci Memorial Fund. The contributions totalled $500,000, and then were matched by Quad/Graphics' Windhover Foundation for a total gift of $1 million.^[4]