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F. Wayne Valley
- October 2, 1986
- 72 years
- cancer
About F. Wayne Valley
F. Wayne Valley, 72, American businessman and football executive, owner of Oakland Raiders, cancer.
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Full Biography
|Francis Wayne Valley (March 28, 1914 – October 2, 1986) was an American businessman, philanthropist and football player. He attended Oregon State University in the 1930s, where he was a starting linebacker and fullback on the Oregon State Beavers football team, though he would ultimately graduate with a business degree from the University of Oregon due to OSU cutting his program of study. He would later go on to a successful career in the homebuilding industry, starting his first building business in the late 1940s. His businesses were based in the East Bay city of San Leandro, California, where he lived. He and his family later moved to Piedmont, California, in the late 1960s.
Valley was one of the original owners (along with Chet Soda, Donald Blessing and five other investors) of the Oakland Raiders football team, and a founding member of the American Football League. He took control of the franchise in 1960 and served as the managing general partner of the team with Ed McGah until forced out of this role by Al Davis in 1972. Valley subsequently sold his stake in 1976. Along with his wife, Gladys L. Valley, they left the majority of their net worth to the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation, based in Oakland, California.
Valley died in 1986 and his wife continued operating the Foundation until her death in 1998. Their daughter Tamara A. Valley chairs the foundation and on September 15, 2003, the board of directors unanimously decided to wind down the foundation and distribute about $1 billion USD in assets by 2018. The foundation is a key donor to OSU, both academically and athletically; Valley Library, Valley Gymnastics Center, Valley Football Center, and the Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building at OSU are all named in their honor.
The Valleys' foundation was also a major benefactor of the University of California, Berkeley, donating $64 million from 1989 to 2014. In 1989, the foundation gave Berkeley $15 million to support the renovation of the Valley Life Sciences Building, and in 2000, the foundation pledged another $25 million to advance biomedical and health sciences at the school. The foundation made a $10 million contribution to support the renovation of Berkeley's Bancroft Library in 2005, and it donated over $14 million during 2011 through 2014 to help fund the construction of the Li Ka Shing Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences.
In 2005, California State University, East Bay, in Hayward, California, launched an aggressive construction project with the building of three new facilities: the Wayne and Gladys Valley Business and Technology Center (VBT), the Pioneer Heights student housing expansion and the University Union annex. The 67,000-square-foot (6,200 m2) Wayne and Gladys Valley Business and Technology Center was dedicated on February 28, 2007, making it the first new academic building on the Hayward Campus in over 30 years. The building houses programs in business, technology management, engineering, multimedia, science and online degree programs.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._Wayne_Valley
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- View record
- October 21, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from F. Wayne Valley's archived record and the sources above.
1.On what date was F. Wayne Valley born?
- A.February 28, 2007
- B.October 2, 1986
- C.March 28, 1914correct
- D.September 15, 2003
Francis Wayne Valley was born on March 28, 1914.
Source: biographical introduction
2.Which university did F. Wayne Valley attend for his football career as a starting linebacker and fullback?
- A.University of Oregon
- B.California State University, East Bay
- C.University of California, Berkeley
- D.Oregon State Universitycorrect
F. Wayne Valley attended Oregon State University in the 1930s where he played for the Beavers.
Source: early education section
3.Where was F. Wayne Valley's first homebuilding business based?
- A.Oakland, California
- B.Hayward, California
- C.Piedmont, California
- D.San Leandro, Californiacorrect
F. Wayne Valley's businesses were based in the East Bay city of San Leandro, California.
Source: career section
4.Who forced F. Wayne Valley out of his role as the Oakland Raiders managing general partner in 1972?
- A.Chet Soda
- B.Donald Blessing
- C.Ed McGah
- D.Al Daviscorrect
F. Wayne Valley was forced out of his role as managing general partner by Al Davis in 1972.
Source: Raiders ownership section
5.In what year did F. Wayne Valley sell his stake in the Oakland Raiders?
- A.1960
- B.1976correct
- C.1986
- D.1972
F. Wayne Valley subsequently sold his stake in the Oakland Raiders in 1976.
Source: Raiders ownership section
6.What is the name of F. Wayne Valley's wife who co-founded the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation?
- A.Sarah Valley
- B.Gladys L. Valleycorrect
- C.Elizabeth Valley
- D.Tamara A. Valley
F. Wayne Valley's wife was Gladys L. Valley.
Source: foundation and legacy section
7.What amount of assets did the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation board plan to distribute by 2018?
- A.$10 million
- B.$1 billioncorrect
- C.$64 million
- D.$25 million
The board decided to distribute about $1 billion USD in assets by 2018.
Source: foundation management section
8.Which facility at Oregon State University is named in honor of the Valleys?
- A.Valley Gymnastics Centercorrect
- B.Valley Science Laboratory
- C.Valley Student Housing
- D.Valley Engineering Hall
The Valley Gymnastics Center is named in their honor at Oregon State University.
Source: foundation legacy section
9.How much did the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation donate to the University of California, Berkeley from 1989 to 2014?
- A.$14 million
- B.$10 million
- C.$25 million
- D.$64 millioncorrect
The foundation was a major benefactor of UC Berkeley, donating $64 million from 1989 to 2014.
Source: Berkeley donations section
10.In what year did the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation pledge $25 million to advance biomedical and health sciences at UC Berkeley?
- A.2005
- B.1989
- C.2000correct
- D.2011
In 2000, the foundation pledged $25 million to advance biomedical and health sciences at the school.
Source: Berkeley donations section
11.The Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation supported the renovation of which library at UC Berkeley in 2005?
- A.Doe Library
- B.Bancroft Librarycorrect
- C.East Asian Library
- D.Main Library
The foundation made a $10 million contribution to support the renovation of Berkeley's Bancroft Library in 2005.
Source: Berkeley donations section
12.What is the name of the California State University, East Bay facility dedicated on February 28, 2007?
- A.F. Wayne Valley Technology Management Hall
- B.Gladys L. Valley Student Center
- C.Wayne and Gladys Valley Business and Technology Centercorrect
- D.Valley Science and Engineering Annex
The Wayne and Gladys Valley Business and Technology Center was dedicated on February 28, 2007.
Source: CSU East Bay section
13.Who serves as the chair of the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation?
- A.Ed McGah
- B.Gladys L. Valley
- C.Al Davis
- D.Tamara A. Valleycorrect
Their daughter Tamara A. Valley chairs the foundation.
Source: foundation management section
14.How many square feet is the Wayne and Gladys Valley Business and Technology Center at the Hayward Campus?
- A.25,000
- B.67,000correct
- C.64,000
- D.14,000
The building is 67,000-square-feet in size.
Source: CSU East Bay section
15.F. Wayne Valley graduated from which university with a business degree?
- A.University of Oregoncorrect
- B.California State University, East Bay
- C.Oregon State University
- D.University of California, Berkeley
He would ultimately graduate with a business degree from the University of Oregon.
Source: early education section
16.When did Gladys L. Valley die?
- A.1986
- B.1998correct
- C.2003
- D.2018
Gladys L. Valley continued operating the Foundation until her death in 1998.
Source: foundation management section
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