Columbia, Mo. - On October 19, 2007, the University of Missouri 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 today, 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; 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 with a B.S. degree. 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 August 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.
Because Mr. Trulaske viewed his education from the MU as the foundation for his success, he chose to provide financial support to his alma mater beginning in 1997. Mrs. Trulaske and he created an endowment to fund scholarships for students in the College of Business and a new scholarship coordinator position. This endowment supports more than 35 students in the undergraduate business program and the MBA program.
In 2002, the University of Missouri honored Mr. Trulaske by awarding to him an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters for outstanding achievements in his business career. He passed away on September 25, 2004 at the age of 86.
Bob and Geraldine Trulaske centered their lives around their family. Their two sons, Robert James, Jr. and Steven Lee, Sr. are married to Sarah Hager Trulaske and Michelle Pitcher Trulaske, respectively. Their family now includes seven grandchildren: John Brenan Bechtold, Meghan Mellor Trulaske, Christopher James Trulaske, Jeanne Marie Trulaske, Si Kincaid, Steven Lee Trulaske, Jr., and Kay Brinkman Trulaske.
ABOUT THE COLLEGE
The Trulaske College of Business, founded in 1914, today enrolls nearly 4,000 undergraduate students and 345 graduate students. The college has four academic units - Accountancy, Finance, Management, and Marketing - with 64 full-time faculty members. The college offers an undergraduate degree in business administration, an MBA degree, a 150-hour program that confers both undergraduate and master's degrees in accountancy, and PhD degrees in both accountancy and business administration. The College of Business takes great pride in its graduates. Nearly 30,000 alumni are contributing their expertise to the public and private sectors in every state in the U.S. and in a host of foreign countries.