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For Immediate Release
(April 23, 2009) Armstrong Atlantic State University (AASU) will award an Honorary Doctor of Letters to Philip Solomons, a native Savannahian and university benefactor whose ties to AASU go back to the 1930s. At that time, he attended what was then Armstrong Junior College, serving as vice president of the 1938 freshman class and competing on the golf team.
Solomons will receive the Honorary Doctor of Letters from AASU President Thomas Z. Jones during commencement ceremonies starting at 10 a.m., on Saturday, May 9 in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Arena in the Savannah Civic Center.
"Mr. Solomons has served this university, his community and his country, including service during the Korean War and World War II," said Jones. "In awarding him an Honorary Doctor of Letters, AASU recognizes his contributions and his leadership that continue to benefit this university and our community."
After receiving a bachelor's degree in industrial management from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1942, Solomons served in the United States Air Force during World War II, attaining the rank captain. In 1946, he married Shirley Massell of Atlanta and began working in his family business, Solomons Company. From 1950 to 1952, he served in the Korean War, helping set up the air defense system for the East Coast of the United States.
After the war, Solomons resumed working in all areas of the family business, becoming president in 1962. As president, he oversaw the successful acquisition and integration of two other wholesalers and continued to serve as the company's CEO until 1988. During his tenure, the company's annual sales grew from $3,000,000 in 1946 to more than $220,000,000. In 1993, the family sold the company to Cardinal Health.
In 1997, Solomons established the Philip and Shirley Solomons Eminent Scholar Chair in the Department of Economics at AASU with an endowment of $500,000. Richard J. Cebula, AASU professor of economics, currently holds this prestigious appointment.
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For Immediate Release
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| Philip Solomons |
AASU to Award Honorary Degree to Philip Solomons
(April 23, 2009) Armstrong Atlantic State University (AASU) will award an Honorary Doctor of Letters to Philip Solomons, a native Savannahian and university benefactor whose ties to AASU go back to the 1930s. At that time, he attended what was then Armstrong Junior College, serving as vice president of the 1938 freshman class and competing on the golf team.
Solomons will receive the Honorary Doctor of Letters from AASU President Thomas Z. Jones during commencement ceremonies starting at 10 a.m., on Saturday, May 9 in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Arena in the Savannah Civic Center.
"Mr. Solomons has served this university, his community and his country, including service during the Korean War and World War II," said Jones. "In awarding him an Honorary Doctor of Letters, AASU recognizes his contributions and his leadership that continue to benefit this university and our community."
After receiving a bachelor's degree in industrial management from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1942, Solomons served in the United States Air Force during World War II, attaining the rank captain. In 1946, he married Shirley Massell of Atlanta and began working in his family business, Solomons Company. From 1950 to 1952, he served in the Korean War, helping set up the air defense system for the East Coast of the United States.
After the war, Solomons resumed working in all areas of the family business, becoming president in 1962. As president, he oversaw the successful acquisition and integration of two other wholesalers and continued to serve as the company's CEO until 1988. During his tenure, the company's annual sales grew from $3,000,000 in 1946 to more than $220,000,000. In 1993, the family sold the company to Cardinal Health.
In 1997, Solomons established the Philip and Shirley Solomons Eminent Scholar Chair in the Department of Economics at AASU with an endowment of $500,000. Richard J. Cebula, AASU professor of economics, currently holds this prestigious appointment.