Target co-founder Bruce Dayton dies at 97

Bruce Dayton, co-founder of Target Corp , died on Friday in Orono, Minnesota, the state's governor's office said.

Dayton, 97, was former chief executive of Dayton-Hudson, which evolved into Target Corp.

He retired from the Dayton-Hudson board in 1983.

He was the father of Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton and was the last of the five grandsons of George Dayton, who founded retailer Dayton Co, the foundation of what is now Minneapolis-based Target.

"Bruce was a great man and a visionary retail and business leader," Target Chief Executive Brian Cornell said in a statement.

A patron of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Dayton was primarily interested in European and American paintings.

Heis survived by his wife, four children, 11 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.