Robert Dillard Teer Jr.
Biographical sketch of Robert Dillard Teer, Jr.This and other articles may be found in the University Archives.
Citation for this article is: "Happy Birthday, Robb" ECU Report, Volume 18, No. 3, June 1986.
Robert "Robb" Dillard Teer Jr.'s 41st birtday present is one he won't soon forget -- his family chose that occasion to honor him with an endowed chair in the School of Business at East Carolina University.
The Robert Dillard Teer Jr. Distinguished Professorship of Business, the university's first endowed chair, was established with a gift of $333,000 from the Robert Dillard Teer Sr. family. Combined with a matching state grant of $167,000 under a new program created by the 1985 General Assembly, the endowment totals $500,000.
"It is fitting that the chair be named for Robb Teer, who is a distinguished graduate of the ECU School of Business," saysChancellor John M. Howell.
Teer, a 1967 graduate, received the Fieldcrest Award, presented annually in the School of Business to the senior with the highest grade point average.
He is president and managing director of Teer Associates Inc., a real estate development, leasing and management firm formed in January.For 13 years prior to that, Teer served as assistant vice president for finance and administration and treasurer of the Nello L. Teer Company and its affiliates and subsidiaries.
"We are awfully proud of what Robb has done with his education and with the family businesses," says R. Dillard Teer Sr., Teer's father."We wanted to do something special ot show him how much we appreciate his hard work and success."
"We recognize the influence that his early experiences at East Carolina had on him, and we knew he'd like the idea of helping future generations of business students get a good start," he says."ECU is growing in influence across the south, and we're delighted that this investment can be used to accelerate the progress."
The School of Business is the largest of ECU's nine professional schools with more than 2,000 students and a full-time faculty of 55.Its entry standards are the most stringent of any undergraduate program at ECU; only juniors, seniors and graduate students are admitted.
"The most important thing about this gift is that it's a lasting tribute," says Teer's wife, Susan. "It's more than just money; the effects will continue long after a gift would be used up or money spent."
The Teers were married on August 23, 1964, a few days before beginning their sophomore year at ECU.
"We lived in T.C. Williams' trailer court across from the Highway Patrol station," Teer recalls."It wasn't fancy, but we were comfortable."
The Teers were good students; Mrs. Teer remembers competing with her husband to make the dean's list, which they did almost every quarter. "We were more interested in getting an education than having a good time, so being married and in school wasn't a problem for us," Teer says."In fact, I think it added stability."
The Teers made a deal with their parents that they'd live on the same amount of money they'd been given before they were married."I worked as a stock boy in the Student Store, and Susan worked as a soda jerk in the college union," Teer says.
Mrs. Teer graduated in 1967 with a B.S. in special education and taught at Murdock Center until their daughter, Kristin was born.Teer joined the Army Reserves and in 1968 went to work with his family's construction company.
The Teer name has long been synonymous with construction."My father started the business in 1909 with a mule and a dragpin doing basements around Chapel Hill and Durham," says Teer Sr. "The company grew from there.At one time we were the largest road builder in the country."
In 1950, the company entered the crushed stone business, which became an integral part of its growth."We did all types of construction work except for houses," Teer Sr. says."Our jobs encompassed everything from roads to airports, railroads and buildings."
In 1980 the Nello L. Teer Company merged with The Koppers Company of Pittsburgh, Pa."Koppers is a large industrial company with 20 divisions, half of which are in the construction business," Teer Sr. says."Today Koppers is the largest crushed stone producer in the world."
Following the merger, father and son entered the development business with Teer Sr.'s brother, Nello Teer Jr.Their projects included the development of the Research Triangle Park Service Center, The Governor'sInn, North Telecom and Glaxo Drugs.
In 1985 these resources were sold to a New York firm.One month later, Teer started Teer Associates, Inc.
Teer's success is due in large part, he believes, to his ECU education. "It's something you have to learn by experience, but a college education is essential for entrance into the business world," he says."I am confident that my background in business was as good as I could have received anywhere."
