"In the pursuit of excellence, there is no finish…

“In the race for quality there is no finish line” appeared in advertisements for Xerox in 1990, quoting the Chairman and CEO of Xerox Corporation, David T. Kearns (1930-2011). “In The Race For Excellence, There Is No Finish Line” is a chapter title in John Mason’s book, You’re Born an Original—Don’t Die a Copy (1993).

“In the pursuit of excellence, there is no finish line” was cited in print in 2000, when it was said by the chief executive of Godolphin. This line is sometimes credited to Lieutenant General Robert Forman, but the date and evidence of this use are not known.

Wikipedia: David T. Kearns
David Todd Kearns (August 11, 1930 – February 25, 2011) was an American businessman who was CEO of Xerox Corporation (1982–1990) and Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education (1991–1993). He died on the 25th of February, 2011.

Google Books
February 1990, Black Enterprise, pg. 33 ad:
“In the race for quality
there is no finish line”
David T. Kearns,
Chairman and CEO Xerox Corporation

Google Books
You’re Born an Original—Don’t Die a Copy
By John Mason
Grand Rapids, MI: Revell
1993
Pg. 91:
In The Race For Excellence, There Is No Finish Line.

30 April 1994, The Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica), “Avoiding other Negrils” by Desmond Henry, pg. 8, col. 6:
The Bottom Line: In the race for excellence there is no finish line.

Google Books
Once Upon a Campus:
Lessons for Improving Quality and Productivity in Higher Education
By Daniel Seymour
Westport, CT: The Oryx Press
1995
Pg. 9:
In the race for quality, as the Xerox advertisement so keenly states, there is no finish line.

Google Books
Choosing a Quality Control System
By Merton R. Hubbard
Lancaster, PA: Technomic Publishing Company, Inc.
1999
Pg. 97:
CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
A quotation from a Readers Digest article by David T. Kearns (May 1990) says: “In the race for quality, there is no finish line.”

24 May 2000, Las Vegas (NV) Review-Journal, “Fans should get up early for World Cup” by Richard Eng:
It epitomizes how Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum directs his racing operation and DWC 2000: “In the race for excellence, there is no finish line.”

27 March 2000, Palm Beach (FL) Post, “Dubai winner a good bet anywhere” by John Crittenden, pg. 6C:
“In the pursuit of excellence, there is no finish line,’’ said the chief executive of Godolphin.

Twitter
SonomaDesignApparel‏
@sonomadesign
“In the pursuit of excellence there is no finish line.” ~ Lt. Gen. Robert Forman http://bit.ly/bz9fQk
10:24 AM - 12 Apr 10

Wally Bock’s Three Star Leadership Blog
August 8, 2011
Who is that leader in the mirror?
(...)
Lieutenant General Robert Forman summed it up: “In the pursuit of excellence there is no finish line.”