John W. Tyson (189_ -1967) was the founder of the company that became corporate food giant Tyson Foods.

In the early 1930's, John Tyson knew he could make money by selling chickens outside Arkansas' borders, so he began hauling birds to markets as far away as Kansas City and Chicago. Before long, Tyson was moving toward vertical integration, where he could control the product from the egg to the consumer's table. First, he purchased incubators from a local hatchery-owner when his chick supplier refused to supply birds. The incubators were a success, and Tyson quickly had all of the chicks he needed to supply local growers. Later on, when a local feed mill told Tyson he would have to wait for feed, he decided to mill his own. By the end of the decade, he had become a commercial feed dealer for Ralston Purina. About Tyson - History - 1930s