Aspiring for Greatness

Charles and Sam entered college with lofty goals. Charles attended Louisiana Tech University on a football scholarship, and Sam enrolled at the same school with ambitions of following in his father's footsteps as a journalist. Both young men excelled in college, and Sam was selected as Outstanding Freshman with the Omicron Delta Kappa Award, and later elected Student Body President.

Charles was a standout football player who served as president of the college Letterman's Club and president of his fraternity.

Both Charles and Sam graduated in 1956 with job offers from IBM. Charles accepted a job with the company, while Sam instead enrolled in the University of Michigan Business School as its first Paton Scholar. In 1957, Sam noted Charles' success at IBM — he made $12,000 in his first year compared to the $4,000 most earned upon graduation — and decided to join the company. Sam first had to meet his military obligation — boot camp in San Antonio, followed by six years of weekend service.

The Wyly brothers set sales records at IBM. They began to develop an entrepreneurial spirit, with sights toward the future. Both progressively advanced in their careers until Sam founded University Computing Company (UCC) in 1963. Using $1,000 of his own money, Sam negotiated to use office space on the Southern Methodist University campus in exchange for providing free computer services. The company pioneered the marriage of the computer and the telephone, which became on-line computing and software products, which today are more important than hardware.

Charles joined UCC in 1963, near the time Sam attempted to secure funding for the growth of the business. A year later, Sam negotiated various business deals — securing investments in his fledgling company — to empower his venture for growth and progress.

The company went public in 1965; the shares doubled on the first day of trading. The late 1960s saw the company span multiple divisions and become a trendsetter in international communications. Sam became chairman of the board and Charles was elected president. In four years, IPO investors made a 100 to 1 return.