2007 Honorary Degree
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He is currently chairman and chief executive officer of Klipsch Group, Inc., and vice chairman of Health Care Real Estate Investment Trust of Toledo, Ohio. He is a benefactor of numerous worthy civil causes and institutions, including his alma mater, Purdue.
His most important charitable contribution has been his work on the Educational Choice Charitable Trust. His leadership has enabled the trust to continue to provide alternative private school education options to economically disadvantaged families in Indianapolis who cannot afford to move out of the city or pay on their own in pursuit of their children's educational objectives.
Raised in Indianapolis, Mr. Klipsch earned his bachelor's degree in industrial education from Purdue in 1964. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and stationed in Southern California, where he worked on his master's of business administration at California State College at Long Beach, earning the degree in 1968.
He returned to Indianapolis and worked four years for IBM, gaining valuable insight into corporate structure. That led to an opportunity with Overhead Door Co. of Indianapolis, of which he eventually became president, co-chairman and co-owner. The company expanded to other cities and sales skyrocketed from $1.5 million to $50 million by 2004. That success led to several other business opportunities including the acquisition of Klipsch & Associates in 1989, which eventually became Klipsch Group, Inc. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Klipsch Group, Inc. is a premium multi-brand global loudspeaker company that includes the Klipsch brand, which just celebrated its 60th anniversary with total sales exceeding $250 million.
He also enjoys volunteering his services and support, including being very active with the President's Council and the John Purdue Club at his alma mater. He has served on the Indianapolis Campaign Steering Committee, the Science Bound Advisory Board, and the College of Technology Dean's Executive Council.
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