Blaise Thomas "Tom" Golisano (born 1942) is the billionaire founder of Paychex, the second-largest payroll processor in the United States, and owner of the Buffalo Sabres hockey team. He ran for governor of New York in 1994, 1998, and 2002 as the candidate of the Independence Party of New York. He lost all three elections, spending a combined $93 million over the three campaigns. In 2002, he handed incumbent New York Governor George Pataki the only electoral defeat in his career by defeating him in the hotly contested Independence Party primary and received 14 percent of the vote in the gubernatorial election, his highest total the three elections. By receiving more than 50,000 votes each time, he brought the Independence Party an automatic ballot line for the succeeding four years. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A billionaire is a person who has a net worth of at least one billion units of currency, such as United States Dollars (USD), Pounds or Euros. ... Paychex, Inc. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. ... This is a list of the Governors of New York. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... The Independence Party is a political party in the U.S. state of New York. ... USD redirects here. ... George Elmer Pataki (born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who was the 57th Governor of New York serving from January 1995 until January 1, 2007. ...

Golisano has received many awards for his prowess in business, including:

• David T. Kearns Medal of Distinction - recognizing significant achievements in business, public service and education, by the University of Rochester's William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration
• Rochester Business Hall of Fame (2001)
• The 1987 Herbert W. VandenBrul Entrepreneurial Award, presented by Rochester Institute of Technology's College of Business
• "Master Entrepreneur" award in Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year awards competition for Western New York
• The "Distinguished Citizen of the Year" award from the Otetiana Council of the Boy Scouts of America
• Shumway Distinguished Service Award from Family Service of Rochester
• Humanitarian of the Year Award, presented by the Boy's Town of Italy, and the Commerce and Industry Award of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce.
• Outstanding Alumni Award from the American Association of Community Colleges
• Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y.
• Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, N.Y.

Golisano has done a great deal of charitable work, founding the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation in 1984, which awards grants to organizations dedicated to providing opportunities for those with disabilities and offering support to their families. The University of Rochester re-named their pediatric facility at Strong Memorial Hospital as the Golisano Children's Hospital in 2002. Golisano donated $14 million to the hospital. March 6, 2006 Golisano Donated $6 million to Bishop Kearney High School and Our Lady of Mercy this was announced at Bishop Kearney where he also launched his 2003 campaign. In September 2007, with a $10 million donation, Golisano launched the Golisano Institute for Sustainability at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The University of Rochester (UR) is a private, coeducational and nonsectarian research university located in Rochester, New York. ... William Edward Simon (November 27, 1927–June 3, 2000) became the 63rd Secretary of the Treasury on May 8, 1974, during the Nixon administration. ... This article is about the city of Rochester in Monroe County. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... RIT redirects here. ... For the Boy Scouting program within the BSA, see Boy Scouting (Boy Scouts of America). ... Saint John Fisher College is a Catholic college in Rochester, Monroe County, New York. ... Roberts Wesleyan College is a private, Christian, liberal arts college located in North Chili, New York, 10 miles southwest of the City of Rochester. ... The University of Rochester (UR) is a private, coeducational and nonsectarian research university located in Rochester, New York. ... Strong Memorial Hospital is a 750-bed medical facility located at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York. ...

After New York's Republican Governor George Pataki announced he will not run again in the 2006 elections, GOP officials reported that they were attempting to recruit Golisano to run for the Republican nomination. Golisano changed his party affiliation to the GOP (with the Independence Party's chairman's blessing) in October 2005, apparently in preparation for another gubernatorial run. However, on February 1, 2006, Golisano announced that he would not run for the governorship. [1] George Elmer Pataki (born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who was the 57th Governor of New York serving from January 1995 until January 1, 2007. ... is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Golisano has at times been an important figure in the national Reform Party, however his libertarian views have often put him at odds with the religious wing of the party, similar to the conflicts which drove former Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura out of the Reform Party. The Reform Party of the United States of America (abbreviated Reform Party USA or RPUSA) is a political party in the United States, founded by Ross Perot in 1995 under the belief that Americans were disillusioned with the state of politics--as being corrupt and unable to deal with vital... Jesse Ventura (born James George Janos on July 15, 1951), also known as The Body, The Star, Governor Turnbuckle, and The Governing Body, is an American politician, retired professional wrestler, Navy UDT veteran, actor, and former radio and television talk show host. ...

Electoral history

• 2002 Race for Governor
  • George Pataki (R) (inc.), 49%
  • Carl McCall (D), 34%
  • Tom Golisano (I), 14%
• 1998 Race for Governor
  • George Pataki (R) (inc.), 54%
  • Peter Vallone (D), 33%
  • Tom Golisano (I), 8%
• 1994 Race for Governor
  • George Pataki (R), 49%
  • Mario Cuomo (D) (inc.), 45%
  • Tom Golisano (I), 4%

George Elmer Pataki (born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who was the 57th Governor of New York serving from January 1995 until January 1, 2007. ... H. Carl McCall (born 1935) is a former Comptroller of New York State and was the Democratic candidate in the 2002 election for state governor. ... George Elmer Pataki (born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who was the 57th Governor of New York serving from January 1995 until January 1, 2007. ... Peter F. Vallone, Sr. ... George Elmer Pataki (born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who was the 57th Governor of New York serving from January 1995 until January 1, 2007. ... Mario Matthew Cuomo (born June 15, 1932) served as the Governor of New York from 1983 to 1995. ...

External links

• Tom Golisano's Web Page
• B. Thomas Golisano Foundation
• Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People
• Forbes.com: Forbes 400 Richest in America 2004
• Golisano Children's Hospital