Former Purdue trustee Bruce White dies at 70
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. − Bruce White, a Purdue Board of Trustee member from 2011 through 2015, has passed away at the age of 70.
White was a 1975 graduate of Purdue and went on to become a longtime benefactor of Purdue, especially through White's company, White Lodging, which donated $30 million in 2018 and was selected to operate the Memorial Union Club Hotel in 2019.
“In all its history, Indiana has produced few citizens the equal of Bruce White,” Mitch Daniels, Purdue University president emeritus and former governor of the state of Indiana, said in a release. “In a spectacular business career, his imagination and boldness created opportunities and wealth for thousands of others.
"He invested enormously of his energy and personal resources in trying to build the prosperity and quality of life of his beloved Northwest Indiana. And, of course, as trustee, donor and advocate, he was a central figure in building the Purdue University of today. We cannot replace him; we will remember him with the deepest gratitude always.”
White, the IndyStar reports, was born in Crown Point, and began a relationship with JW Marriott in 1990, opening the first Fairfield Inn franchise in Merrillville and growing that connection through several U.S. cities. One of White's developments is the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis.
The following are some of the influences cited by Purdue that White and the White Family Foundations have had on Purdue:
Establishment of the Dean V. White Real Estate Finance Program with a gift of $20.8 million in 2022
A $5 million commitment to the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in 2021
A collective amount of $30 million worth of donations for the Union Club Hotel in 2018
A gift of $5 million in 2009 to establish the White Lodging School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue Northwest
“Purdue Trustees consider it such a privilege to have known and worked alongside Bruce White, who shared with our university the business skills he developed during his wildly successful career,” board chair Michael Berghoff said in the release. “He inspired us with his commitment to considering strategic value in all that we do, a relentless dedication to operational excellence and a very healthy blend of urgency and impatience. He valued his people above everything and invested deeply in creating new opportunities for them to lead and succeed. Bruce made Purdue, our state and our country a better place.”
Purdue President Mung Chiang also offered words on the behalf of White in the release.
“Bruce White will always be remembered as one of the greatest Boilermakers and finest citizens of our state," Chiang said. "His impact is felt through the many lives he has touched at Purdue and far beyond our campuses. We are ever grateful to have known him and to have benefited from his long-standing dedication and inspiring leadership.”
White graduated with a degree in management and then completed the Harvard Graduate School of Business Owner/President Management Program and was presented an honorary Doctor of Business Administration in Hospitality Management by Johnson and Wales University.
White is survived by his wife Beth and his three children, Corinne, Conner and Patrick, along with his grandchild, Timothy James.
Margaret Christopherson is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email her at mchristopherson@jconline.com and follow her on Twitter @MargaretJC2.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Former trustee member Bruce White has died at 70
