# Thomas Scallen
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{{short description|American lawyer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
'''Thomas Kaine Scallen''' (August 14, 1925 – March 21, 2015) was the first owner of the [NHL](/source/National_Hockey_League)'s [Vancouver Canucks](/source/Vancouver_Canucks).[{{cite web|url=http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/tom-scallen-the-american-who-delivered-the-canucks-to-canadians/article2042366/?service=mobile|title=Tom Scallen: The American who delivered the Canucks to Canadians|work=theglobeandmail.com|access-date=24 March 2015}}] He owned the team from 1970 to 1974, when [Frank Griffiths](/source/Frank_Griffiths), an owner of several Vancouver area radio and television stations, the next largest shareholder in the Canucks, took over after Scallen was arrested.[{{cite book|isbn=1-56720-559-3|page=72|author=Frank P. Jozsa Jr.|year=2003|publisher=Praeger|location=Westport, Conn.|title=American sports empire : how the leagues breed success}}] He was found guilty of securities fraud in 1973, and a later appeal failed.
Upon graduation from [Saint Thomas Academy](/source/Saint_Thomas_Academy), he enlisted in the [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army) and fought in [World War II](/source/World_War_II). For his military service, Scallen was awarded the [Combat Infantry Badge](/source/Combat_Infantry_Badge) and a [Bronze Star](/source/Bronze_Star).[ He obtained a B.A. and J.D. from the [University of Denver](/source/University_of_Denver) and began practicing law, serving a stint as [Minnesota](/source/Minnesota) assistant attorney general.][ He was married twice, firstly to Mary Semsch, with whom he had six children.
In the early 1960, Scallen was employed in the banking industry. He then took a leadership position with the [Ice Follies](/source/Ice_Follies) which he later purchased.][{{cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/the-unsinkable-thomas-scallen-old-school-showman-and-dealmaker-dies-at-89/297304491/|title=The unsinkable Thomas Scallen: Old-school showman and dealmaker dies at 89|work=startribune.com|date=March 24, 2015 |access-date=24 March 2015}}]
He then married Bille Jo Brice in 1990, and lived with her until his death.[ Scallen was the chairman of Medicor, a medical insurance company based his home state, [Minnesota](/source/Minnesota).][{{cite web|url=http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/530/530.F2d.204.75--1857.75--1825.html|title=530 F.2d 204}}] Scallen was the lead investor in a group that sought a [United States Football League](/source/United_States_Football_League) expansion team in Minneapolis for the [1984 USFL season](/source/1984_USFL_season).[{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19821117&id=wHpQAAAAIBAJ&pg=7010,3570084|title=The Milwaukee Sentinel - Google News Archive Search|work=google.com|access-date=24 March 2015}}] He was president of International Broadcasting Corporation, which owned the [Ice Capades](/source/Ice_Capades) and [Harlem Globetrotters](/source/Harlem_Globetrotters). The company filed for bankruptcy in 1991.[{{cite news | title=Globetrotters' Parent Files | date=1991-09-05 | url =https://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/05/business/globetrotters-parent-files.html | work =The New York Times | access-date = 2009-11-28 }}] Later, he was chairman and principal owner of Century Park Pictures, an entertainment company that for a time owned the [Minnesota Fighting Pike](/source/Minnesota_Fighting_Pike) [arena football](/source/arena_football) team.[{{cite news | first=Mark | last=Reilly | title=Scallen plots next act for Chanhassentheater | date=1999-03-26 | url =http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/1999/03/29/story3.html | work =Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal | access-date = 2009-11-28 }}] From 1999-2009, he was the owner of Chanhassen Dinner Theatres in [Chanhassen, Minnesota](/source/Chanhassen%2C_Minnesota), one of the nation's largest [dinner theater](/source/dinner_theater)s.[{{cite news | first=Graydon | last=Royce | title=Chanhassen theater sale is terminated | date=2009-11-19 | publisher=[Star Tribune](/source/Star_Tribune) | url =http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/onstage/70401987.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsZ | work =StarTribune.com | access-date = 2009-11-28 }}] Scallen died in Minneapolis in 2015 at the age of 89.[{{cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/71081/?fullname=thomas-k-scallen|title=Thomas K. Scallen Obituary|work=startribune.com|access-date=24 March 2015}}]