Christopher Newport University (CNU) experienced a loss, with CNU President Bill Kelly announcing the death of Joseph W. Luter III–the namesake of CNU’s Luter School of Business.
In 1975, Luter became President and CEO of his father’s company, Smithfield Foods, the largest pig and pork producer in the world. He transformed the company through “bold and aggressive expansion” over 32 years, until he stepped down in 2005 to become a non-executive chairman, according to his obituary. That same year, CNU received a large donation of $5 million from Larry Pope, the Smithfield chairman and CEO at the time. Pope, who is currently a member of CNU’s Board of Visitors, recognized Luter’s impact by naming the school after him.
Luter’s obituary describes him as a generous man who quietly donated to “numerous organizations, individuals and causes in order to provide opportunities for others.”
In the email sent out by President Kelly, he described how “hundreds of Captains” have benefited from the Smithfield Foods Leadership Scholarship Program and thousands have received an “outstanding education” through the business school. A quote from Luter described his strong feelings of philanthropy and the importance of giving back to the people we come in contact with every day.
His family is grateful for those who helped provide comfort for Luter in his final days. Instead of flowers, they ask that any donations are made to a charity of personal choice; “just as Joe lived his life.”
