January 5, 2005

Lampe Family Endows Professorship in College of Engineering

The Ross Lampe family endowed the Lampe Family Endowed Professorship in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Pictured seated are John Lampe, Ross Lampe Sr., Ross Lampe Jr. and Guy Lampe. Standing are NCSU administrators Dr. Robert Trew, Dean Nino Masnari, Vice Chancellor for Advancement Terry Wood and Ben Hughes. (Photo: Jennifer Weston)

The Ross W. Lampe Family of Smithfield has pledged $1 million to the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University.  The gift will be used to create a professorship known as the "Lampe Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering" and to support other initiatives in the College.

The Lampe professorship will be established using $666,000 from the $1 million pledged by the family and matching funds of $334,000 from the Distinguished Professorship Endowment Trust Fund, bringing the total value of the endowed professorship to $1 million.

The Lampe family has many ties to the College of Engineering and the university. Dr. Ross W. Lampe Jr., president of SMD Software, Inc., is a 1977 graduate who received his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. He also earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Ross Lampe Jr. currently serves on the NC State Engineering Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors. His father, Ross W. Lampe Sr., president of Guy C. Lee Manufacturing Company, is also a graduate of NC State, having received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in 1951. Ross Sr. is the son of Dr. J. Harold Lampe, who served as dean of the College of Engineering from 1945 to 1962 and was pivotal in the early planning of Research Triangle Park. In 2002 Ross Sr. received the Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award, the highest award given by the College to an alumnus. Other Lampe family members who received degrees from NC State include Tempe Lampe (MS ’82), Guy Lampe (BA ’81) and John Lampe II (BA ’83).

“This generous gift from the Lampe family reflects their long history of involvement with NC State and the College of Engineering, beginning with Dr. J. Harold Lampe’s service as dean of engineering from 1945 to 1962. This endowment will continue that tradition of enhancing and supporting our education, research and outreach efforts. The university applauds the Lampe family for their leadership and generosity,” said Interim Chancellor Robert Barnhardt.

The $1 million pledge is the second substantial gift from the Lampe family. In 1993 in memory of Dean Lampe, they created the J. Harold Lampe Engineering Excellence Fund, which is an endowment providing unrestricted support for the College.

Dr. Nino A. Masnari, dean of the College of Engineering, said of the Lampe family gift, “We are very grateful for the generosity and commitment the Lampe family has shown the College of Engineering and NC State. This gift will greatly enhance our efforts to provide the highest quality faculty.”

— weston —

Media contact: 

Jennifer Weston, (919) 515-3848, weston@ncsu.edu

Technical contact:       

Ben Hughes, (919) 515-7458, ben_hughes@ncsu.edu

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