Burton J. Vincent was born in Evanston, Illinois and raised in Akron, Ohio. He attended the University of Michigan from 1942 to 1943. He interrupted his studies to join the United States Marine Corps during World War II. After a tour of duty in the South Pacific as a patrol leader, he returned to the States to attend radar school at Purdue University in 1944. Upon his discharge with the rank of sergeant, Mr. Vincent returned to the University of Michigan and completed his BBA degree in 1948.

While attending the University of Michigan, Burton Vincent met and married his wife, Marilyn. Upon graduation, they moved to Chicago where he began his career as a securities salesman at Julien Collins & Co. and later served as a vice president at Carl McGlone & Co. Mr. and Mrs. Vincent had a son, Burton Jr., born in 1949 and a second son, John, in 1954. In 1954, Mr. Vincent realized a life-long desire by starting his own business, an investment securities firm, on La Salle Street in Chicago. Burton J. Vincent & Company provided services in investment management and corporate finance and specialized in the underwriting and sale of common and preferred stocks, corporate and municipal bonds. Over the years, the firm prospered and grew to become a regional, full-service, investment bank. In 1974, the firm merged with another regional firm to become Burton J. Vincent, Chesley and Company. This firm was purchased by Kemper in 1984.

Mr. Vincent also founded Capitol Enterprises in 1955, which became Capitol Food Industries, Inc., a holding company of domestic and international specialty food manufacturers that included EverSweet orange juice, Bowey's chocolate products and Green Spot soft drinks. He served as chairman and chief executive officer of this publicly traded firm until 1983 when he repurchased the company and changed its name to Vincent Food Industries.

During the 1970's and 1980's, Mr. Vincent served as a director of Twin City Barge, Inc., a director and vice chairman of the Midwest Stock Exchange, a district chairman of the Securities Industry Association, a vice chairman of the Salvation Army Advisory Board, and as a member of the Chicago Crime Commission. Mr. Vincent was an avid golfer and tournament chess player and enjoyed traveling to Scotland. He was a long-time member of the Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Illinois, and had recently joined Royal Dornoch in Scotland. He and Marilyn divided their time between their Florida and Chicago homes. Mr. Vincent passed away in 1996.

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