Robert E. Price, Business Leader and Community Advocate, to Deliver USD Graduate Commencement Address
Robert E. Price, the well-known entrepreneur and community advocate, will deliver the 2016 University of San Diego Commencement address for the Graduate Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 21, at 10 a.m. Mr. Price will be receiving an honorary degree from USD, a Doctor of Humane Letters.
A native San Diegan, Mr. Price began his career working with his father, retail entrepreneur and philanthropist Sol Price, in the family’s retail company, the FedMart stores. In 1975, Mr. Price and his father cofounded The Price Company, the owners and operators of the Price Club membership warehouses. More than fifteen years later, the 94-store company merged with Costco Wholesale Club, and in 1994, Mr. Price became chairman, president, and CEO of Price Enterprises.
As president of Price Charities and Price Philanthropies Foundation, Mr. Price oversees the foundation’s partnerships with nonprofit agencies in San Diego, providing low-income San Diego youth and families with greater opportunities. Working mainly in City Heights, the Price Philanthropies Foundation approaches quality of life improvements through holistic methods, primarily through residential and retail development. The program also helps residents to access health and social services, quality education, jobs, and legal representation while making the neighborhoods safe and supportive environments for growth.
In addition to his philanthropic work, Mr. Price is the Chairman of the Board of PriceSmart Inc., the largest operator of membership warehouse clubs in Central America and the Caribbean, and he holds honorary degrees from San Diego State University, and his alma mater, Pomona College. Mr. Price lives with his wife, Allison, and their family in San Diego.
About the University of San Diego
The University of San Diego sets the standard for an engaged, contemporary Catholic university where innovative Changemakers confront humanity’s urgent challenges. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. USD recently concluded our successful $317M Leading Change: The Campaign for USD, which represented the most ambitious fundraising effort in the history of the university. In September 2016, USD introduced Envisioning 2024, a strategic plan that capitalizes on the university’s recent progress and aligns new strategic goals with current strengths to help shape a vision for the future as the university looks ahead to its 75th anniversary in the year 2024.