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Those who attended the announcement received a gold T-shirt
that reads, "I was there when history was made."
Photo courtesy of the Trulaske College of Business
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College
of Business Gets a New Name
Business school named after alumnus
Robert J. Trulaske, Sr.
By Laura Harris
On Oct. 19, the University of
Missouri-Columbia announced that its College of Business is
now officially named the
Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business. The college was
renamed in recognition of a series of generous gifts, including
a new commitment from Geraldine Trulaske. The gifts were made
in honor of Mrs. Trulaske's husband, Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. Mr.
Trulaske, who earned a business degree from the University of
Missouri in 1940, passed away in September 2004. Recently, the
University of Missouri Board of Curators approved the renaming
of the business school.
Two years ago, Mrs. Trulaske made another
donation to MU, providing funding for six endowed named faculty
positions in the College of Business and a campus-wide scholarships
program. Earlier, Mr. and Mrs. Trulaske had made a series of gifts
that created three endowments - one for undergraduate scholarships
in MU's business school, a second for scholarships for MBA students,
and a third for a new scholarships coordinator position in the
College of Business. Currently, 36 students have
Trulaske Scholarships.
The College of Business will use the latest
gift from Mrs. Trulaske to advance the priorities contained in
its
strategic plan. The priorities include: professional development
of undergraduate business students, the School of Accountancy,
the Crosby MBA Program, scholarly research, doctoral education,
entrepreneurship and economic development, financial services,
information technology, diversity, collaboration with the business
community, and quality learning. In line with Mrs. Trulaske's
wishes, the amount of the gift is not being disclosed.
“Mrs. Trulaske's very generous gift,
combined with a measure of flexibility in applying the new funding,
is beneficial to the College of Business at an unprecedented level.
With added financial resources, we can assure that our students
receive a world-class education in business and accounting. In
addition, I am confident that we will fulfill our vision of being
a top-twenty public business school,” said Bruce Walker,
dean of the college. “I am also extremely pleased that our
college will be forever associated with Robert Trulaske, Sr.,
who I found to be an ethical, caring and highly successful business
owner.”
Following graduation in 1940, Mr. Trulaske
was employed at Procter & Gamble until the start of World
War II. He served as a combat pilot and took part in D-Day and
other battles. Upon returning from the war, he and Geraldine were
married, and he started his own company with his brother and father
in 1945.
“My father credited the University
of Missouri for giving him the tools to success. He was a dedicated
alumnus of its business school for many years,” said Robert
Trulaske, Jr. “Knowing of his deep, abiding love for the
University, I'm proud that my mother has chosen to continue their
tradition of support.”
The College of Business is only the second
academic division to be named at the University of Missouri-Columbia;
the other is the Sinclair School of Nursing. In various national
rankings, such as The Wall Street Journal
and U.S. News & World Report, approximately
75 percent of top-tier business schools are named.
“A named and nationally recognized
College of Business at Missouri's flagship university will help
to keep the 'best and brightest' students who have an interest
in business and accounting in the state of Missouri and will attract
other talented students to our state,” said
MU Chancellor Brady Deaton. “This gift will enable the
college to greatly advance key strategic priorities in its plan,
which will benefit both students and faculty members, and also
will contribute to the future vitality of the economy in the state
of Missouri.”
About Robert J. Trulaske, Sr.
Bob Trulaske was born April 29, 1918, in St.
Louis, Mo. Mr. Trulaske graduated in 1936 from Wellston High School
and was one of only two graduates to attend college. He graduated
from the University of Missouri's business school in 1940. During
his time at the University, Mr. Trulaske was an R.O.T.C. officer,
receiving his saber from then-U.S. Senator Harry S. Truman.
Mr. Trulaske was employed by Procter &
Gamble until the start of World War II. During the war, he was
a combat pilot in the European theater, flying C-47s with the
88th Troop Carrier Squadron of the 438th Troop Carrier Group of
the 9th Air Force. As such, Mr. Trulaske was one of the first
in the battle on D-Day; he participated in the Battle of Holland
and others until the war ended.
After returning from Europe in August 1945,
Mr. Trulaske married Geraldine Mae Mellor of Jacksonville, Ill.,
on Aug. 28. After his discharge in September, Mr. Trulaske founded
a company with his father, Francis Robert, Jr., and his brother,
Arthur William. Today, the company is recognized as a leading
manufacturer in the food-service and soft-drink industries worldwide.
Mr. Trulaske was very committed to the well-being of the company's
employees. With that in mind, he instituted extensive profit-sharing
and bonus plans for his employees.
Mr. Trulaske died on Sept. 25, 2004, at the
age of 86.
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Last Update:
March 12, 2007
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