For four decades, Dr. Dietrich “Dieter” Schaupp proudly served the College of Business and Economics and West Virginia University. Schaupp passed away suddenly on May 26 in Morgantown from complications of a heart attack he suffered two days earlier. He was 75.

Schaupp retired from B&E in January 2012 after 40 years of service as a professor of management in the Department of Management at B&E to pursue his avocation in construction. After joining the business school in 1973, he was promoted through associate professor to full professor with tenure by 1985. He served as departmental chairperson from 1977-82, acting associate dean from 1983-85 and interim director of graduate programs in 2000. He happily served on numerous college committees through his career at WVU and was awarded professor emeritus status in 2012.

However, he enjoyed a distinct role in being active internationally, developing professional relationships for the purposes of faculty and student exchanges with Fulda University of Applied Sciences in Germany and the University of Applied Sciences Kufstein in Austria. Schaupp was also a recognizable and active face in the MSIR (Master of Science in Human Resources and Industrial Relations) program.

“He was a quintessential professor. He cared about students and he cared about his classes. He was dedicated to the nth degree. He was a great colleague and, personally, he was a great mentor to me,” said Dr. Joyce Heames, former B&E associate dean and dean of the Campbell School of Business at Berry College, Rome, Georgia. “His influence on the college and, specifically, the Management and Industrial Relations Department, will be felt for years to come. The years of service he provided and the relationships he formed are a tribute to his dedication and love of West Virginia University.”

Born in Fulda, Germany, he immigrated with his father and brother at age 7 to Pittsburgh in 1948. He graduated from Bethel High School in 1961, and from Penn State University with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1966. He obtained an MBA from West Virginia University and a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Kentucky.

“Dieter Schaupp was a valued member of our faculty,” said B&E Interim Dean Nancy McIntyre. “He always had a ready smile and a wealth of sage advice. He was one of our students’ favorite faculty members.”

McIntyre said Schaupp played important roles at the business school, beyond the management and MSIR programs. “He was an advocate for a doctoral program in the College of Business and Economics,” she said, “and Dieter played a significant role in making that a reality.”

His B&E colleagues said his obituary was right on the mark, and painted an accurate picture of his character.

“Dieter had a strong sense of values for work and for making a difference in the world around him,” read his obituary. “He maintained a strong interest in world governments and economic affairs and encouraged others to share that interest. His greatest desire was to make others aware of injustice to the less fortunate in the world. Dieter placed a high value on family and friends, values he shared with his students when he reminded them that life is bigger than a career. He loved teaching and missed it every day of his retirement. His friends can tell you he always had a good lecture to offer.”

Schaupp is survived by his wife of 39 years, Dr. Barbara Parsons Schaupp; children, Dr. Gretchen Schaupp (Christian Leichert) and Adelheid Schaupp; and grandchildren, Konrad and Milan Medan. He is also survived by his twin brother, Dr. Frederick “Fritz” Schaupp, and family.