Our Benefactors

The people behind the names
When two pre-eminent business leaders believe enough in a college to invest in its future, it's a tremendous compliment. It's even more laudable when they give us the use of their good names and outstanding reputations. The College of Business Administration at Florida International Univeristy is now even stronger thanks to these two most generous benefactors.

Alvah H. Chapman Jr.
Mr. Chapman has been one of South Florida's most influential business leaders throughout the last thirty years—responsible in many ways for Miami's emergence as an international business center. A third-generation newspaperman, Chapman came to Miami in 1960 to work for Knight Newspaper. He helped take the company public in 1969 and was the leading architect of the 1974 merger that created Knight Ridder in Miami. Chapman became Chief Executive Officer of the company in 1976 and Chairman in 1982. During his tenure, corporate revenue tripled and The Miami Herald won 33 Pulitzer Prizes.

Chapman's leadership also has been evident in a wide range of civic and community projects. He co-founded the Non-Group, an influential alliance of Miami-Dade business leaders, and has been a champion of this community's nationally-recognized homeless program as founding chairman of Community Partnership for the Homeless, Inc. Following Hurricane Andrew's devastation of Miami-Dade County in 1992, Chapman was tapped by former President George Bush to lead the massive "We Will Rebuild" effort.

R. Kirk Landon
Mr. Landon worked for nearly five decades to turn American Bankers Insurance Group from the small, family-owned business begun by his father into a multibillion-dollar corporation and the largest insurance firm in Florida. Since selling the company to Assurant (formerly Fortis) in 1999, Landon has kept busy by creating and overseeing two private charitable foundations.

Having publicly stated that philanthropy will be his last career, Landon has for years contributed to a myriad of important causes. He has made gifts for building the Landon Family Garden on the grounds of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, and has furthered the quality of life of Miami-Dade residents by donating to Community Partnership for the Homeless, the Miami Children's Museum and several arts organizations. Landon also has supported nursing education by providing funds to establish a clinical laboratory.