Indiana State University has received a $1 million gift to establish an endowed professorship in the Scott College of Business.
Dr. Robert Steinbaugh influenced the lives and careers of countless students, was valued by his peers in the academic community, and was deeply committed to the future of Indiana State University.
Dr. Steinbaugh’s legacy will live on through a $1 million charitable gift from his wife, Carolyn Steinbaugh, to the Scott College of Business. ISU’s Board of Trustees approved the gift and the naming of the Dr. Robert and Carolyn Steinbaugh Endowed Professor of Business.
Robert Steinbaugh taught management and finance at ISU and served as a department chair from 1957 to 1984. He retired in 1991 and passed away in 2014.
“Dr. Steinbaugh devoted his career to ISU, and we are proud that in perpetuity we will honor his dedication by recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty who embrace our important mission,” ISU President Dr. Deborah J. Curtis said.
The gift is the second endowed professorship in two years established in support of the Scott College of Business.
“I hope to give faculty a chance for research or expanding their own knowledge and studies where, without additional financial resources, they may not be able to,” Carolyn Steinbaugh said.
Said Terry Daugherty, Dean of the Scott College of Business: “The best faculty members change lives in the classroom and beyond. We are thankful for Mrs. Steingbaugh’s gift because this enhances our ability to support faculty excellence in teaching and research by providing significant resources for scholarship and leadership opportunities.”
During his more than three decades of service to ISU, Dr. Steinbaugh’s teaching and collaborative spirit among his faculty colleagues expanded business curriculum to meet the shifting needs of students and employers. In turn, students sought him out for interview advice and preparation — for which he kept a necktie in his office to ensure they knew how to tie a proper knot.
The Steinbaughs’ previous philanthropic support has helped the Scott College of Business move to Federal Hall in 2012. The couple made previous gifts to name the Dr. Robert P. Steinbaugh Faculty Resource Library in Federal Hall.
“The Steinbaughs have been devoted supporters of Indiana State,” said Andrea Angel, Vice President of University Advancement and CEO of the ISU Foundation. “This gift continues the couple’s generosity to Indiana State and will forever enhance the learning environment for students in the Scott College of Business.”