J. Mack Robinson Honored;  Founding Dean Manners Remembered at GSU Ceremony

October 4, 2001 - Two of the most influential figures in the history of Georgia State's J. Mack Robinson College of Business were honored Wednesday, October 3rd in a special ceremony for community leaders, faculty and staff at the school's 35 Broad Street location.

J. Mack Robinson, business pioneer and chief benefactor of the College was recognized along with the late Dr. George Manners, its first Dean.

Robinson's recognition came in the form of the unveiling of his portrait by world-renowned Atlanta artist, Thomas V. Nash.  Manners was recognized by having the building's main meeting center, the Atlanta Room, renamed the Manners Room. The room has long been the site of major strategy sessions for bankers - previous owners of the building - and now for business college leaders. The Robinson College has called the historic Broad Street building home since 1993.

Robinson College Dean Sidney E. Harris stated, "This is not just a celebration for our College. It is a celebration for our students, former students and for entire Atlanta business community, which benefits daily from the enormous contributions of J. Mack Robinson and Dr. George Manners."

In 1998, Robinson donated $10 million to the business college which now bears his name. A noted philanthropist and entrepreneur, his first major success was with a string of used car lots in Atlanta, Macon, Augusta and Columbus. He moved from there into financing, eventually forming his own company, Dixie Finance Company. Over a period of 20 years, he expanded his finance operation into 107 cities in the South. That venture led him into insurance and the formation of the Delta Life insurance Company and later the Delta Fire and Casualty Insurance Company. He and his family still retain complete ownership of both. Robinson also privately underwrote the start-up of the French fashion house of Yves St. Laurent in the early 1960s. A civic leader, Robinson and his wife Nita were named Philanthropists of the Year in 1994 by the Georgia Chapter of the National Society of Fund-Raising Executives.

Dr. Manners earned his bachelor's degree from Georgia Tech Evening School of Commerce in 1935 (now the J. Mack Robinson College of Business). He received his MBA in economics from the University of Georgia in 1946 and doctorate in history from Emory University in 1959. An Army veteran, Manners was Dean from 1947 to 1969. He later served as assistant vice president, associate vice president and Regents' Professor until he retired in 1977. Not only did he bring major improvements in curriculum for business students, Manners also raised the standards of the MBA programs for working professionals (part-time MBA's) to a level of quality equal to those offered to full-time students.

Thomas V. Nash is Georgia's most renowned portrait artist. His work has been commissioned by the likes of Senator Sam Nunn, former Governor (now Senator) Zell Miller and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. He has been seen on television either painting or answering questions about portraiture and his work has been shown on stage at New York's Carnegie Hall.

The J. Mack Robinson College of Business is one of the nation's top business schools. The College's Flex (part-time) MBA program has been listed in the top ten by U.S. News for the past six years.  Forbes magazine lists the Robinson College in the top ten for return on investment for regional schools and Business Week ranks the College's executive MBA program among the top 20. The College has an enrollment of over 8000 students.

For more information, contact:
Steve Strickland
Gary McKillips, External Affairs, 404-413-7077