In honor of a very special couple, $1.5 million has been raised by friends and colleagues to establish the Geraldine J. and Robert L. Virgil Professorship in Accounting and Management at the Olin School of Business.
Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton announced the gift, which includes $300,000 from the University’s Sesquicentennial Endowed Professorship Challenge.
Mahendra Gupta, Ph.D., professor of accounting, will be installed as the first holder in a ceremony planned for later this year.
“For more than four decades, Bob Virgil has been an integral part of Washington University, and his contributions to the institution he loves are unparalleled,” Wrighton said.
The relationship began as a graduate student; Virgil earned a master’s degree in 1960 and a doctorate in 1967. While working toward his D.B.A., Virgil joined the business school faculty as an instructor. He became a full professor of accounting and held that title throughout his tenure as dean, which he assumed in 1977. A gifted professor, he was voted Teacher of the Year nine times.
He also served as vice chancellor for student affairs for a brief period in the 1970s. In 1992, Virgil was named executive vice chancellor for university relations, where he was responsible for alumni and development programs, human resources and public affairs.
As dean, Virgil guided the Olin School through a vibrant period of growth. From 1977-1993, when he officially retired from the University, Virgil shaped Olin into a nationally known school; grew the endowment from $200,000 to more than $75 million; secured the resources to build John E. Simon Hall; built a large international student presence; recruited many outstanding faculty; deepened corporate relationships; created such important new initiatives as the executive master of business administration program; and enhanced the curriculum with new endeavors in experiential learning, which are now a distinguishing feature of the school.
“Bob Virgil’s contribution to the development of the Olin School was both foundational and monumental,” said Stuart I. Greenbaum, Ph.D., dean of the Olin School and the Bank of America Professor.
“Progress of the past nine years are linear extensions of the building blocks set in place during his tenure as dean. His commitment and vision were indispensable.”
In announcing Gupta’s appointment as the professorship’s initial holder, Greenbaum said, “It is a pleasure to recognize Mahendra Gupta’s contributions in this way. He is an excellent teacher and has made many important discoveries in his fields of expertise.”
Gupta’s academic interests cover issues in strategic cost management, performance measurement, and more specifically, strategic implications of cost information in the manufacturing, health-care, marketing and service sectors. He has been published in a number of major scholarly journals in his field, such as Accounting Review and the Journal of Accounting and Economics, and has served on the editorial boards of several journals in the accounting profession.
Professional memberships include the American Accounting Association and the Institute of Management Accountants. In addition, he has served as a consultant for a range of manufacturing firms and governmental agencies.
Gupta has been recognized several times for his teaching with both the Reid M.B.A. and the Reid E.M.B.A. Teacher of the Year award. In 1996-97, he was named the Marcile and James Reid Professor.
He earned a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University and a doctorate degree from Stanford University.
Throughout Virgil’s academic career, he has served on many critical committees, such as the Faculty Senate Council and the Committee on the Recruitment of Underrepresented Faculty. In addition, he participated in the University’s Project 21 long-range planning initiative.
“Bob Virgil’s vision, leadership, inspiration, love and support for Washington University are virtually unmatched,” Wrighton said. “We are very grateful to the friends who have made this well-deserved tribute to Bob and Gerry.”
Chancellor Emeritus William H. Danforth, a longtime friend and colleague, added that Virgil has left an indelible mark on the University — even the Sesquicentennial.
“Bob Virgil’s contributions are great, and he continues to serve the University unselfishly,” Danforth said. “Even as he embarked on a second career in the early 1990s as a partner in the investment firm of Edward Jones, Bob’s relationship with us has remained deep and strong.”
Wrighton appointed Virgil to lead the planning for the University’s 150th anniversary, and he has overseen the implementation of those plans.
The University’s gratitude and recognition of Virgil’s contributions include the Dean’s Medal, awarded to both Bob and Gerry from the Olin School in 1996; an endowed scholarship in their name on the occasion of his retirement from the University; and the Search Award, given by the William Greenleaf Eliot Society in 2001. Recently he received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the Olin School.
In 1993, Virgil embarked on a second career as a partner in Edward Jones, the St. Louis-based financial service firm, responsible for management development. During his decade there, it more than tripled in size, with over 9,000 offices and 6 million customers in America, Canada and the United Kingdom.
“Bob Virgil’s leadership abilities are evident in both of his careers,” Greenbaum said. “He has succeeded brilliantly in two very different environments, and both the University and Edward Jones have benefited greatly from his professional expertise.”
Gerry’s efforts and activities on campus have complemented Bob’s and have created lasting connections.
The Virgils are also involved in a number of organizations and institutions in the community. She is a member of the Philanthropic Educational Organization and is a supporter of Kirkwood Meals on Wheels program and the Glendale Presbyterian Church.
He is a member of the University’s Board of Trustees and serves in a leadership capacity for a number of institutions and organizations, including the Eliot Society, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, and Citizens for St. Louis Symphony Ballot Proposal.
The individual and corporate donors of the new Virgil professorship are: Brown Shoe Co. Inc. Charitable Trust; Computer Sales International Inc.; Dr. and Mrs. William H. Danforth;
Edward Jones; Mr. and Mrs. Jerry L. Kent; Mr. Mark J. Lincoln; Dr. and Mrs. William J. Marshall; Anne and John McDonnell; Mrs. Hubert C. Moog; Mr. James V. and Kathy Gudermuth O’Donnell; Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas L. Reding; Mr. and Mrs. Howard L. Wood; and Dr. and Mrs. Jess B. Yawitz.