Smith Community Celebrates Rudy Lamone
The name "Rudy Lamone” is synonymous with brilliant teaching, transformative
leadership and passion for nurturing entrepreneurship. His effect on thousands of
students cannot be quantified, but the new Rudolph P. Lamone Chair for Entrepreneurial
Leadership adds to his legacy.
On April 19, the University of Maryland community joined at the Robert H. Smith
School of Business to celebrate the man known to thousands of friends and fans as
“Rudy” and to announce the new professorship in his name.
Rudy served as dean of the Smith School from 1973 to 1992. In 1986, he partnered
with Michael D. Dingman to establish an entrepreneurial support center for the business
school, and the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship was born.
Throughout the evening, attendees – including alumni from every decade, current
and previous faculty/administrators, and students –waited patiently for a chance
to greet the man of honor, who was as charming, funny and eloquent as ever and greeted
guests by name. Everyone knows Rudy, but how can Rudy know everyone? He just does.
“He sees the potential in other people,” Carly Fiorina MBA ’80, former CEO of
Hewlett-Packard, told the crowd, “Rudy Lamone changed my life.”
By Alissa Arford