LEADERSHIP + INNOVATION CAMPAIGN
Honoring Former School of Business Leaders
Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was Southern’s School of Business. Started
in a closet on the first floor of Wright Hall in 1956, the School of Business sits
on the shoulders of men and women dedicated to sharing Christ in the marketplace through
training ethical and exceptional business professionals. As the school moves to its
new and dedicated home and becomes the Ruth McKee School of Business, join us in remembering
and honoring those who made today’s success possible.
Wayne E. VandeVere
Originally from Minnesota and with a graduate degree in Business Administration from
the University of Michigan, Wayne E. VandeVere, PhD, dedicated his life to business
students at Southern, serving for 40 years.He and his wife Evie joined the Southern campus in 1956 and he was soon asked to chair the School of Business. He received the highest score of anyone testing for their CPA in the state of Tennessee and naturally found his niche in teaching accounting, along with his administrative duties.
In 1993, and through the passion of fellow business department colleague Bert Coolidge, ’65, the Wayne E. VandeVere Endowed Chair of Accounting was established with a goal of raising $1,000,000. Today, the fund is $175,000 shy of that goal. Help us complete this chair and honor VandeVere with a special plaque near the dean’s office in our new Ruth McKee School of Business.
Remember Wayne through this short video created by his son-in-law and current Southern professor, Stephen Ruf.
Bill Richards
Bill Richards, PhD, doesn’t do anything in halves. Whether it is a Sabbath hike, programming
accounting software, taking his family backpacking in Wyoming, or playing J.S. Bach
on the organ, Richards gives 100%. He brought that same drive to Southern when he and his wife, Evonne, came to campus in 1977. Like all great leaders, he led by example when pushing students to pursue excellence. Richards loved testing himself and obtained multiple certifications in his field, including the highest score in the nation on the CMA exam in 1980! And he expected the same dedication from his students. Richards was famous—at times infamous—for tough tests. Students spent all night studying and celebrated a B as a top score.
At Southern, Richards' office was juxtaposed with computers and speakers so that accounting ratios and organ music could perform simultaneously. He pushed his students because he believed, and still believes, that excellence is one of the best ways to represent Christ as a business professional. And it worked. Once entering graduate school or starting their careers, his students look back with deep appreciation for the lessons that made them successful. Graduates of Richards’ classes have gone on to represent Christ as leaders of top-tier performing companies.
The standard of excellence that Bill Richards maintained at Southern in the 1970s and 1980s is the foundation on which today’s business students build. Join us in honoring Richards' legacy of excellence by helping name a classroom in his honor in the new Ruth McKee School of Business.
professor tributes
Each professor in the School of Business has made an eternal impact on the thousands
of School of Business students who have graduated from Southern. Without these dedicated
educators, our business alumni may not be leaving their own legacy for the kingdom
of God in the professional circles they impact. CEOs, attorneys, accountants, entrepreneurs,
and leadership professionals of all types trace their success and missional acumen
to time spent in Southern business classes with professors who cared deeply and sacrificed
for the future benefit of their students. Honor your favorite professors today with a special tribute gift. Those funding gifts of $1,000 or more will be displayed on the donor wall in the Ruth McKee School of Business. To make a group gift or discuss a named space in honor of a professor, please contact Robert Bovell or Ellen Hostetler in Advancement: 423.236.2829 / advancement@southern.edu.
Support the Campaign
Support Southern's School of Business Leadership and Innovation Campaign today. The future happens now!