E.R. Beall

In 1997, Robert M. Beall II established this endowment to honor his father, Egbert R. “E.R.” Beall, the founder of the Beall’s department store chain. After graduating from the University of Florida in 1940 and serving as an Army officer during World War II, E.R. Beall returned to Bradenton to help run the dry goods store started by his father in 1915. In 1956, as shopping centers began to be built in Florida, E.R. Beall opened a new store in Bradenton, and others followed.

It was in 1970 that E.R.’s son, Bob, joined the business after graduating from UF, serving as an Army officer and earning his MBA at New York University. When Bob became president in 1980, the chain sales were at $38 million. In the next 25 years sales reached $1 billion with 500 stores in 14 states.

This professorship is the first instituted at Warrington College in the area of logistics and supply chain management. “I wanted to recognize my dad in this way,” Bob said. “He loved the university and recognized how important this field was to our success.” E.R. Beall passed away in 2000 at age 85.
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