Henry B. Tippie, one of the University of Iowa's most accomplished and generous alumni, will visit campus to deliver the Phil's Day keynote, "Life with Phil."
The event happens Thursday, May 1, at 1:30 p.m. in the second floor ballroom at the Iowa Memorial Union. It's free and open to the public.
Tippie will reflect on his professional journey and why he so strongly believes in giving back to Iowa.
As a farm boy growing up in rural Iowa, Tippie started his education in a one-room schoolhouse. After graduating from Belle Plaine High School in 1944, he enlisted in the Army Air Force and served in the 20th Air Force in the South Pacific. He attended the UI on the G.I. Bill and received his B.S.C. degree in accounting in 1949.
Tippie began his professional career as a junior accountant in the Des Moines area. He passed the CPA exam in 1951 and has been a member of the Iowa Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs for more than 60 years.
He brought innovative ideas to the world of business through his work with Rollins and Associates, where he was part of the team that put together the company's purchase of Orkin Exterminating Company. The purchase was considered to be the first leveraged buyout of its kind in U.S. corporate history and served as a case study at Harvard Business School.
Tippie is still involved with Rollins enterprises today as presiding director for Rollins Inc., RPC Inc., and Marine Products Corporation. He also serves as a co-trustee for the O. Wayne Rollins Foundation and is the managing director of the RMT Trust. He also is board chair for Dover Motorsports Inc. and Dover Downs Entertainment Inc.
Tippie made his first donation to the university in 1953. That $5 gift sparked decades of loyal support for Iowa.
Throughout the years, he and his wife, Patricia, have supported important university programs and made a tremendous impact on the university, its students, and faculty. In 1999, in recognition of the Tippies’ visionary giving, the UI renamed its business college the Henry B. Tippie College of Business.
Tippie has received the Hancher-Finkbine Medallion, the University of Iowa's Distinguished Alumni Award for Service, and the Outstanding Accounting Alumni Award, and was named Hawk of the Year in 2013. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the UI in 2009. The Tippies own a 33,000-acre ranch in Limestone County, Texas, and live in Austin.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to attend this lecture, contact Kristin Loupee Beckman in advance at 319-467-3471 or via kristin-loupeebeckman@uiowa.edu.