Joseph M. Long, an entrepreneur and co-founder of Longs Drug Stores, created his foundation, The JM Long Foundation, in 1966 as a way of giving back to others from whom he
received during his lifetime.
One of nine children, Joe was born in 1912 in Covelo, a small agricultural town in Northern California. He picked hops, worked for his father in a small general store, and listened to his mother who preached a work ethic. After high school, he and his brother, Tom, hitched a ride on a milk truck to leave Covelo and to attend the University of California at Berkeley, where they worked their way through college. In 1932 he graduated in political science and went on to serve as the Assistant City Manager of Berkeley where he was responsible for the establishment of the East Bay Regional Parks. Later, he became the founding chairman of the State Park Foundation.
Over his lifetime, he embarked on many different business ventures into industries such as Hospitality, Natural Resources and most notably, Drugstore Retail. While he found much success in business, he found personal enjoyment in activities such as hunting, fishing and music.
As Chairman of the Board of Longs Drug Stores, he noted:
