Top 50 Hokies Spotlight: Robert B. Pamplin and Robert B. Pamplin Jr.

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The Pamplin College of Business is one of the most recognizable colleges at Virginia Tech and while we all seem to know someone who is a graduate of this esteemed program, we may not know very much about the namesakes, Robert B. Pamplin and Robert B. Pamplin Jr.

During his four years at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Robert B. Pamplin majored in Business Administration and a member of the Corps of Cadets before graduating in 1933. Following graduation, Pamplin started his professional career at Georgia Hardwood (which would become Georgia-Pacific in 1946) where he was a jack-of-all-trades, working in several different departments, before becoming the President. While serving in this role, he decided to move Georgia-Pacific’s headquarters from Augusta, Georgia to Portland, Oregon, where the headquarters remain today. Dr. Pamplin is the recipient of several honorary awards and degrees, as well as numerous national awards.

Robert B. Pamplin Jr. attended Virginia Tech for one year in 1961 before transferring to Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Despite only spending one year in Blacksburg, Pamplin and his father continued to support the university and its business school, which was renamed the Pamplin College of Business in 1986. The Pamplin’s are also the namesake for two scholarships offered by the College of Business, The Pamplin Leadership Award and the Pamplin Scholar Award. The Leadership Award is offered to ~40 high school seniors in the Commonwealth of Virginia. If selected, these students are eligible to apply for the Pamplin Scholar Award during their freshman year at Virginia Tech.

According to the Pamplin College of Business website, the Pamplin’s have donated over $25 million to the college.

“One of the greatest successes is when you bring a lot of happiness, love, and hope to people who haven’t had that, and give them the opportunity to improve themselves."

Robert B. Pamplin, Jr.