LittleSis: J Barry Griswell

Prominent Des Moines philanthropist and businessman Barry Griswell died Friday June 5 2020, his family announced. He was 71. Griswell was the chairman and CEO of Principal Financial Group from 2000 to 2008, then led the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines in 2008 until he retired in 2013. Barry Griswell is survived by his wife, Michele Griswell, sons John and Michael Griswell, three brothers and two granddaughters. Griswell grew up without a father and had gotten into trouble before the Boys and Girls Club in Atlanta helped him to turn his life around. He eventually received a scholarship to play basketball at Berry College in Rome, Ga. He met the love of his life, Michele, there and discovered that he had a knack for business, which pushed him to get an MBA from Stetson University in Florida. He was honored in 2003 with the Horatio Alger Award for overcoming adversity to attain success. J. Barry Griswell had been a Director of the Company since 2001 and of Principal Life since 1998, and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and Principal Life since June of 2006. He was Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and Principal Life from 2002 until June of 2006.

Donor	Common Recipients
Richard M. DeVos, Jr.	Chuck Grassley, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Jeffrey Lamberti, Mitt Romney
Ken Griffin	Chris Dodd, Chuck Grassley, Barack Obama, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Mitt Romney
Daniel Och	Chris Dodd, Chuck Grassley, Tom Harkin, Barack Obama, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Mitt Romney
Smith Davis	Saxby Chambliss, Chris Dodd, Chuck Grassley, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Mitt Romney
Mary Vermeer Andringa	Leonard L Boswell, Chuck Grassley, National Republican Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Stanley J Thompson, Jeffrey Lamberti, Mitt Romney
Lanny Griffith	Saxby Chambliss, Chuck Grassley, Ben Nelson, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Mitt Romney
Barry L MacLean	Leonard L Boswell, Chuck Grassley, Barack Obama, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Mitt Romney
Michael Keiser	Saxby Chambliss, Chuck Grassley, Barack Obama, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Mitt Romney
Richard Holland	Leonard L Boswell, Chris Dodd, Tom Harkin, Ben Nelson, Barack Obama, Iowa Democratic Party, Christie Vilsack
Robert C Wright	Chris Dodd, Tom Harkin, Barack Obama, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Mitt Romney
Ray Oden Jr	Saxby Chambliss, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Jeffrey Lamberti, Mitt Romney
Mark Heitz	Ben Nelson, Earl Ralph Pomeroy III, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, American Council of Life Insurers Political Action Committee, Mitt Romney
Richard V Sandler	Chris Dodd, Tom Harkin, Barack Obama, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Mitt Romney
Howard M Lorber	Chris Dodd, Tom Harkin, Ben Nelson, Barack Obama, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Mitt Romney
Terry Branstad	Chuck Grassley, Ben Nelson, Jim Leach, George W Bush, Republican Party of Iowa, Stanley J Thompson, Jeffrey Lamberti
Ignacio E Sanchez	Saxby Chambliss, Chris Dodd, Ben Nelson, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Mitt Romney
Michael B Levy	Chris Dodd, Tom Harkin, Ben Nelson, Barack Obama, Earl Ralph Pomeroy III, National Republican Congressional Committee, Mitt Romney
Dan Duncan	Chuck Grassley, Tom Harkin, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Mitt Romney
Doris Fisher	Saxby Chambliss, Chris Dodd, Chuck Grassley, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Mitt Romney
Kim Hawkins	Chuck Grassley, Ben Nelson, Barack Obama, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Mitt Romney

Donor

Common Recipients

Richard M. DeVos, Jr.

Chuck Grassley, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Jeffrey Lamberti, Mitt Romney

Ken Griffin

Chris Dodd, Chuck Grassley, Barack Obama, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Mitt Romney

Daniel Och

Chris Dodd, Chuck Grassley, Tom Harkin, Barack Obama, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Mitt Romney

Smith Davis

Saxby Chambliss, Chris Dodd, Chuck Grassley, George W Bush, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Mitt Romney

Mary Vermeer Andringa

Leonard L Boswell, Chuck Grassley, National Republican Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Stanley J Thompson, Jeffrey Lamberti, Mitt Romney