Celebration of Life Honoring Rudolph "Rudy" Lamone Set for April 8

Former UMD Business Dean Was a Pioneer in the Realm of Entrepreneurship

COLLEGE PARK, Md., March 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business will host "A Celebration of Life Honoring Rudolph "Rudy" Lamone, 1931-2023," at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 8, 2023, at Memorial Chapel, 7744 Regents Drive, College Park, Maryland.

The public is invited to the ceremony honoring Lamone, who passed away on Jan. 30, 2023. He was professor emeritus of management science and former Dean of the Smith School.

He was founder of Smith's Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, co-founder of the National Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers and a founding member of the National Consortium for Life Science Entrepreneurship Programs. An entrepreneur himself, he co-founded DirectGene, a biotechnology company that has developed gene therapies directed toward the treatment of metastatic prostate and breast cancers. He was a venture partner with Gabriel Venture Partners in Annapolis, Md., and Redwood Shores, Calif. In 1996, Lamone was named "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Ernst & Young for his work in support of entrepreneurship.

Lamone married his wife Linda, a lawyer, on January 29, 1970. They settled in Annapolis, Md., and that same year he was named Admiral of the Chesapeake Bay by Maryland Governor Marvin Mandel. In 1998, he was selected to receive the President's Medal at the University of Maryland. The Smith School's dining facility, Rudy's Cafe, was also named for him.

He is recognized annually in the Dingman Center's Rudy Awards and was recently notified of his induction into the Smith School's inaugural Hall of Fame. The Smith/university community and others have shared memories of Lamone on this website. 

A reception, with RSVP, at Van Munching Hall will follow the ceremony. UM Shuttles will transport guests between Van Munching and the Memorial Chapel before and after services. The service also will be livestreamed. Donations are welcome to support the Rudolph P. and Linda H. Lamone Endowed Professorship in Entrepreneurship at the Robert H. Smith School of Business.

For more information, including to view the livestream, go to the Rudy Lamone Celebration of Life homepage.

About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business
The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master's, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

Contact: Greg Muraski at [email protected]

SOURCE University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business