Veritas, Vol. 26, No. 08, May 1986

              FOR THE FACULTY AND STAFF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
Endowed chair named in McLamore’s honor
IN THE UNITED STATES IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, entrepreneurs have started nearly two million new businesses, creating lO million new jobs. Entrepreneurial energy is the future of American business, and to explore and develop the potentials of entrepreneurship, Burger King Corporation has committed to the University SI million to endow a chair in American enterprise in the School of Business Administration.
The James W. McLamore Chair in American Enterprise is the first chair given by a corporation to the UM and only the 80th chair nationwide for the study of entrepreneurship and private enterprise among the nation’s 3,000 universities and colleges.
The chair is named for Burger King’s founder and UM board chairman, James W. McLamore, an entrepreneur with a Horatio Alger-type story After working his way through college by literally tilling the fields, McLamore turned one restaurant in Miami into the first hamburger fast food chain in the country and one of the nation’s largest.
“There could be no finer tribute to a finer man,” said President Edward T Foote.
“We are deeply grateful to Burger King for its generous commitment. Such a commitment, from any source, would be cause for rejoicing; coming from the company Mr. McLamore founded 32 years ago, the commitment for the new chair assumes a special symbolic importance.
“Mr. McLamore’s leadership of the UM’s Board of Trustees for sev en years, and of the Campaign for the UM, has been exemplary;” said Foote. “The Univ ersity7 is better because of it. The community7 is better as well. To have so important a national corporation recognize this leadership is a splendid development.”
For his efforts in behalf of the Univ ersity7 of Miami and the Miami community; last y ear McLamore was named one of the country ’s top lO volunteers by the Council for Adv ancement and Support of Education.
In addition to chairing UM’s Board of Trustees, McLamore is chairman emeritus of the Burger King Corporation and serv es on the boards of the Southeast Banking Corporation. Ry der Sy stem, Inc., and The Pillsbury Company:
“This chair is an important venture betw een Burger King Corporation and the L niversity of Miami,” said j. Jeffrev Campbell, chairman and chief executive officer of Burger King Corporation. “It truly honors Jim McLamore, co-founder of Burger King Corporation, w ho has long been a pillar in the l niversity's development.”
“I am extremely pleased to receive this most noteworthy7 recognition and honor.” McLamore responded w hen notified about the establishment of the chair “This is as fine a tribute as a person can aspire to.”
The James W .McLamore Chair in American Enterprise-will serve as a focal point for the continued development of academic excellence in business education, according to Jack R Borsting. dean of the Scfwxil of Business Administrât i< >n.
“At this point in our national business arena there is a renew ed appreciation for the role of the entrepreneur.” Borsting said. “It is therefore most appropriate that the
l JM join the top univ ersities of the country7 in emphasizing the study7 of American enterprise.
“For a professor to occupy an endow ed chair in the academic world is the ultimate recognition of prestige and accomplishment in a specific area of study. The opportunity Burger King has given the Sch<x>l of Business Administration is to attract an individual of national rerxAvn.” Borsting said.
In the past lew y ears, private corporations hav e substantially increased their support of education. This was rex:ognized by the American C ouncil on Education.
UM Board of Trustees arid campaign chairman James W. McLamore, for ivhom the netv chair in American enterprise is named
whose national conference last fall fcxjuscd on C orporate Campus Cxx>peration. Burger King is a leading corpora tion in this area, sponsoring more than 30 education scholarship programs nationw ide.
Burger King's gift of the SI million endowed chair brings the total of the l Ms Capital Campaign almost to the halfw ay point. The* Campaign for the UM is one of the largest fund-raising e*ftorts to date- in higher education.
C xirrently in its se c< >nd y ear, the five-year C ampaign will raise* Sx(M) million for e*ndowment. facilities and cxjuip ment. and cunent operations.