UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

 ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

Interviewee: Marshall McDonald
Interviewer: Samuel Proctor
March 21, 1989

 Marshall McDonald is past chairman of the board of Florida Power & Light
Group, which is a holding company whose subsidiaries include business as
ALANDCO, Agri-Land, QualTec, Telesat, and Energy Services, Inc. The company
grew out of its primary subsidiary, the Florida Power & Light Company.

 McDonald was born near Huntsville, Alabama, on March 30, 1918. The
family moved to Mississippi for a few years, and then to West Palm Beach, Florida,
in 1925, where he completed most of his pre-college education. McDonald recounts
his memories of the hurricanes of 1926 and 1928.

 Recalling his parents words, "If you are going to do nothing better than dig
ditches, then go into law school because it will help you dig a better ditch,"
McDonald enrolled at the University of Florida's College of Business in 1935 in
order to prepare for law school. Life at the University--social, professors,
buildings--is described. While at the University, McDonald participated in ROTC.
He received his B.S.B.A. and LL.B. in 1941.

 After UF, McDonald entered the military. His service career is detailed at
length: he served with the M.P.s, was a commanding officer in the parachute
infantry, and saw action in the European theater.

 After the service, McDonald entered the University of Pennsylvania's
Wharton Graduate School and completed an M.B.A. in 1947. After school, he
began his professional career with an accounting firm in Houston. After passing the
Texas bar exam, McDonald remained in Houston, where there was plenty of work
in oil, financing, and mortgage banking. Significantly, he represented the city of
Houston, as well as several other smaller cities, in negotiations with utility
companies.

 Following several intermittent positions, saving companies and making them
profitable, McDonald was brought to Florida by MacGregor Smith to succeed him
as CEO of Florida Power & Light Company. McDonald speaks in detail concerning
matters related to unions, government regulations, nuclear energy, Florida's growth
(and the concomitant increased demand for electricity), and the public's perception
of greedy utility companies. He also discusses his endeavors to bring Japan's
Deming Prize for business recognition to FPL, as well as FPL's Quality Improvement
Program, which is designed to improve employee morale via recognizing
accomplishments, social functions, college courses toward an M.B.A., and retirement
programs.

 McDonald has also been active in community issues, particularly in working
for the elderly. He was asked by President Jimmy Carter to co-chair the White
House Conference on Aging, and the ideas gleaned from that were transferred to
FPL, which currently has one of the few programs in the country for its elderly
workers. In his spare time, McDonald enjoys reading, playing tennis, and hunting.