If Robert G. Merrick, Sr. (1895-1986) were alive today, you might find him sitting next to you in a business course at The University of Baltimore. Generally perceived by his close friends and associates as a practical visionary, Merrick spent his life seeking out new information and finding creative ways to use it. It is no wonder that the University of Baltimore felt it appropriate to name its progressive business school in honor of Merrick.
A decorated veteran of World War I with a Ph.D. in economics from Johns Hopkins University, Robert Merrick successfully grew the Equitable Bank from $20 million in assets and five branches to $438 million in assets and 53 branches in his 35 years as president and CEO. His philanthropic pursuits also increased over time, and many civic and educational institutions in Baltimore have benefited from Merrick's generosity.
Today, a board of family members and trusted colleagues, jointly administer the France-Merrick Foundation. The foundation continues to provide funding for many significant and visible Baltimore projects.
The University of Baltimore business school received three major gifts from the Merrick Foundation from 1982 to 1996. In addition to the naming gift in the early 1980s, gifts were provided to endow the Jacob France Institute, a business and economic research arm of the school, and to support the Advantage MBA scholarship program.
Robert G. Merrick's dedication to the city of Baltimore and its institutions continues in a very meaningful way. Each time a student graduates from the University of Baltimore's Merrick School of Business, the practical vision of its benefactor becomes a tangible part of the Baltimore community he so loved.