Robert B. Tucker
Robert B. Tucker | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Bright Deese[1] August 5, 1937 |
| Died | September 30, 2023 (aged 86)[2] |
| Title | Founder and CEO, Shoe Show[3] |
| Successor | Lisa Tucker[4] |
| Spouse | Carolyn Clark[5] |
Robert B. Tucker (1937–2023) was an American businessman, and the founder and CEO of Shoe Show, a footwear retail chain.[3]
Early life
[edit]As a baby Tucker's parents divorced. Years later, his mother, Gertrude Cranford Deese married Hugh Tucker, and he adopted Tucker. The family later moved to Concord, North Carolina, where Hugh owned Tuck’s Tavern, where Tucker immersed himself in work. In his high school years, he cleaned the parking lots of an ice cream shop and another local restaurant.[2] In his senior year of high school he secured a job at Baucom’s Shoe Store.[3]
Career
[edit]In 1960, freshly out of high school, Tucker opened his first retail store, with his wife Carolyn Clark Tucker, in Kannapolis, North Carolina.[2] The company now has 1,000 stores in 47 US states, with over $1 billion in annual sales.[6]
Philanthropy
[edit]In 2010 the Tucker Student Center, at Gardner-Webb University was named after him.[7] Nine years later in 2019, the Tucker Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength Scholarship is named after the Tucker family.[8]
Personal life
[edit]Tucker and his wife, Carolyn Clark, had four children, Jacqueline, Robert (Bobby), Greg, and Lisa.[9][3]
References
[edit]- ^ Abel, Katie (October 1, 2023). "Robert Tucker, Visionary Founder of Shoe Show, Dies at 86". Yahoo News. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
- ^ a b c "The Generosity of Shoe Show Inc. Co-Founder Helped Transform the University's Campus". Gardner-Webb University. October 2, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "In Memory of our Founder, Robert B. Tucker". Shoe Show. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
- ^ "9 Female Shoe Execs Explain How They Overcame Their Biggest Challenges This Year". Footwear News. June 7, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
- ^ "Robert Tucker Obituary". Whitley's Funeral Home. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
- ^ Garner, Stephen (November 7, 2023). "How Robert Tucker Changed the Shoe Retail Landscape". Footwear News. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
- ^ "Gardner-Webb's Tucker Student Center to Officially Open its Doors". Gardner-Webb University. September 23, 2012. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
- ^ "Lily Streeton of High Point, N.C., Receives Gardner-Webb's Prestigious Tucker Scholarship". Gardner-Webb University. January 5, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
- ^ Ellis, Kevin (October 3, 2023). "Shoe Show founder remembered for gifts large and small". Business North Carolina. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
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