October 20, 2022
Shawnee State University dedicated the C.H. Lute School of Business, named in honor of three generations of the Lute family: Lute Supply Inc’s founder, the late Caleb Hobert (“Hobe”) Lute; son, Christopher H. (Chris) Lute, and grandson and current CEO/President, Jason Christopher Lute during a special ceremony on Oct. 19. The school’s name was announced in early 2022 following its confirmation by the SSU Board of Trustees.
“I can’t think of a more appropriate name to put on our School of Business than Lute,” said SSU President Jeff Bauer. “The name Lute has been synonymous in the community – in the region – with business, with entrepreneurship, with community, and with excellence. I think those are some of the things that I fully expect will happen with our School of Business as we move forward.”
Long-time supporters of SSU, Chris and Marilyn Lute have helped to advance university projects over the years. Among other projects, they led the Reach for the Stars capital campaign and have served within the SSU Development Foundation.
“We hope to continue to support Shawnee State University through the years,” said Chris Lute. “It’s be a pleasure to be able to have this real connection with our family business.”
The C.H. Lute School of Business includes bachelor, associate, and minor degrees in six disciplines including accounting, healthcare administration, information systems management, management, marketing, and sport management.
“Business is our largest major right now,” said SSU Provost Sunil Ahuja. “It’s about 12 percent of our overall student population and there’s potential to be even bigger. The connections that I think the School of Business will be able to provide will be tremendously important for this region.”
The naming of the school coincides with expansion of the number of faculty members within the business programs, as well as establishing plans to create a Master of Business Administration degree on campus. The C.H. Lute School of Business is also a candidate for the International Accreditation Council for Business Education.
“The impact of the C.H. Lute School of Business has the potential to touch generations of Shawnee State University students, providing business training and leadership to the people of our local and regional communities,” said David Furbee, Chairperson of the SSU Board of Trustees. “The Lute School will help Shawnee State continue to change lives.”
To learn more about the C.H. Lute School of Business at Shawnee State University, visit shawnee.edu/business.
