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University of Phoenix founder dies

| August 27, 2014 9:00 PM

PHOENIX (AP) - John G. Sperling was in his teens - illiterate and the survivor of a childhood filled with illness - when a shipmate in the Merchant Marine taught him to read.

Enchanted by the likes of Fyodor Dostoyevsky and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sperling began a journey through higher education that ultimately led to his founding of the University of Phoenix, a for-profit institution.

Sperling, 93, a billionaire, died Friday at a hospital near San Francisco, according to a statement from Apollo Education Group, the parent company of the University of Phoenix. His cause of death was not disclosed.

Sperling stepped down two years ago as Apollo's executive chairman, but his legacy remains as the founder of one of the biggest disrupters of traditional higher education.

Sterling founded the University of Phoenix to accommodate older students who wanted to advance their education but didn't have time for a typical classroom schedule. He built his schools near highways and busy intersections and scheduled evening classes.

"He was trying to provide a service that the private sector was not interested in doing," said University of Southern California professor William G. Tierney.