Charles Stamp Jr.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., Feb. 22, 2016 — Charles Stamp Jr. of Atlanta, Georgia, and Cashiers, N.C., vice president of Public Affairs Worldwide at Deere & Company and a Southeast alumnus, will receive the 2016 Friend of the University Award later this week from the Southeast Missouri University Foundation.

The award will be presented at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 26 in the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall at the River Campus.

The Friend of the University award, which recognizes those who support and who are closely associated with the mission, purposes, plans and programs of the University, is the highest honor bestowed by the Southeast Missouri University Foundation. When the Foundation Board established the award, it also established the criteria for the Friend of the University. The Friend of the University must have the respect of the community and the University, and must have acted to confirm their interest and involvement with the University.

Charles Stamp Jr., left, visits with Jay Knudtson, president of the Southeast Board of Regents, at the opening of Catapult Creative House.

I am honored and humbled by this special recognition, Stamp said. The many friendships made here and the life lessons learned while attending Southeast Missouri State University have stayed with me throughout my career. I am grateful to Dr. Vargas and the University Foundation for this prestigious award.

Stamp, a 1971 graduate of Southeast, was Southeasts honorary guest last October at the dedication of Catapult Creative House at 612 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. Stamps generous gift of $750,000 made the facility in the downtown business district possible. Catapult is Southeasts groundbreaking creative arts and industries incubator. In addition to student studio and collaboration spaces, the facility provides a retail shop, coffee bar, art gallery, letterpress area, 3-D printing area, photo and paint shops and an art classroom and conference space, all operated by students with faculty oversight.

Charles Stamp Jr.’s gift made the Catapult Creative House possible.

We are very grateful for the generosity of Charlie Stamp and his entire family. Their commitment to this University and its students is truly and deeply appreciated. Without their support, Catapult would not have come to fruition, said Dr. Carlos Vargas, president of Southeast Missouri State University. Charlie Stamp serves as a great role model for our students. He knows first-hand the importance of real-world experiences for students and the importance of cultivating the talents of aspiring entrepreneurs. We appreciate not only his gift, but we also appreciate the time he has spent mentoring our students.Through his hard work and expertise, he became a leader in his industry. We are grateful for the contributions he has made in his corporate positions, and we sincerely appreciate what he has done and continues to do for Southeast Missouri State University.

Chris Wubbena, right, Southeast professor of art, discusses a piece of artwork displayed at Catapult Creative House with Charles Stamp Jr., left.

In 2011, Stamp received Southeasts Alumni Merit Award. Since 1958, this honor has been bestowed on Southeast graduates who have brought distinction to themselves and to the University. Stamp is a founding member of the Alumni Association and was a member of the golf team and Sigma Chi fraternity while a student at Southeast.

He has served in his current capacity with Deere & Company since 2002, where he leads a global organization that analyzes macro-economic and geo-political trends and conducts government relations and public affairs worldwide on behalf of a company with 60,000 employees and operations in more than 100 countries.

He joined Deere in 1999 as part of the companys acquisition of InterAg Technologies, where he was the president and chief executive officer. He also served as president of John Deere Special Technologies Group and president of the Agricultural Division of Global AgServices.

From 1974 to 1981, Stamp practiced law in Sikeston, Mo. He entered the agribusiness industry in 1981 as president of Meyer Agri-Products, which later became a division of Butler Manufacturing Company where he served as vice president. Later, he was president of Capital South Investors and a partner in Capital Partners, Ltd., which founded InterAg Technologies.

The Missouri native received his bachelor of arts degree with a major in political science from Southeast and earned a law degree from the University of Missouris School of Law.

Stamp is a member of the board of directors for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Missouri Bar Association. He previously served as chairman of the board of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and is a life honorary director. He was also a trustee of the Farm Foundation.