Robert H. and Beverly A. Deming
Bob Deming earned his B.S. in 1956 while on a scholarship from the University of Colorado and was an instructor as he completed his M.S. in 1959. He received his Doctorate from Harvard Business School while on a Ford Foundation Fellowship in 1963.
Bob and Bev were married during college and survived their first year living in a CU Vetsville married student housing trailer with no running water for $18 per month. As students, Bob worked at the Federal Center and the Colorado Daily and Bev was a telephone operator.
Bob was employed as an executive with public companies but his strong entrepreneurial spirit led him to several successful leveraged buyouts, culminating in taking Toastmaster Inc. (manufacturer of portable kitchen appliances) public on the New York Stock Exchange and subsequently selling it. This allowed them to endow the Robert H. and Beverly A. Deming Center for Entrepreneurship in 1998. Because of their devotion to CU, they also endowed professorships, scholarships and several dedicated rooms in the Koelbel Building.
Bob received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Colorado’s School of Business, was a member of the Young Presidents Organization and served as International President of the Chief Executives Organization.
The keys to Bob and Bev’s success include motivation, perseverance and strong entrepreneurial spirit, which gave them the priceless gift of traveling the world together. Their partnership and teamwork exists after more than 55 years of marriage, four accomplished sons and eight active grandchildren.
Bob believes that "success is in the journey, not the destination." The Demings’ goal via their endowment is to fuel the success of the University of Colorado at Boulder's dynamic entrepreneurship program and to provide the resources to propel the program to ever greater heights.