Sigma Beta Delta founding member, Dr. Donald H. Driemeier passed away Saturday, April 6, 2019.  He passed peacefully, surrounded by family at his St. Louis home.

Don was a great supporter and leader in advancing the purpose and presence of the entire honor society community as reflected by his extensive support and guidance in the creation of Sigma Beta Delta business honor society in 1994 and through his years of service to Beta Gamma Sigma honor society as Associate Executive Director and subsequent officer positions including National President.  Don served as President of Sigma Beta Delta and as a board member for twenty five years.  During his years of service to SBD, over 450 chapters were established while honoring over 100,000 students for their academic achievements.  SBD established a scholarship in Don’s name in 2012, awarding over $9,000.00 to support continuing secondary education.

Don’s prominent presence in the business honor society movement may well reflect a destiny created earlier by his mother, whose outstanding academic record as a commerce student at Washington University in St. Louis, resulted in her becoming the first member of the women’s business honor society, Gamma Epsilon Pi, and then as a Beta Gamma Sigma member.  Don himself also became a member of Beta Gamma Sigma in 1962 at Washington University in St. Louis.  Whether by destiny or design, hundreds of academic institutions and countless thousands of students have benefited greatly from the life and times of our esteemed colleague who has rendered a lifetime of service to the cause of recognizing and honoring the best and brightest business students in our colleges and universities.  As members of the Sigma Beta Delta Board of Directors, we have been able to witness up close and personal the outstanding results of the long and dedicated service our friend and colleague has given to Sigma Beta Delta.

Don’s diligent and active assistance given to the entire business honor society movement, paralleled periods of time when he was occupying roles at the highest academic levels at the University of Missouri-St Louis (UMSL).  Don joined UMSL as an instructor of finance in 1965 and served in various roles until his retirement in 2004 – including dean of the then School of Business Administration, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs, deputy to the chancellor and interim chancellor.  Among his many accomplishments were his efforts to help establish St. Louis Public Radio and the development of UMSL’s first master plan – the foundation guiding the university’s physical growth in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He continued to serve as a member of the UMSL College of Business Administration Leadership Council since the time of his retirement and was instrumental in planning the college’s new building – Anheuser-Busch Hall.

Don served as past acting president of Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, where he had served on its board for 24 years. He also served as a member of the U.S. Treasury Small Business Advisory Committee under U.S. President Jimmy Carter.  He is survived by his wife, Joyce, of 58 years; three children: Doni Lynn Driemeier-Showers (St. Louis), Douglas Hallward-Driemeier (Washington, D.C.), Debra Driemeier Danen (Green Bay, Wisconsin); and six grandchildren—all, like Don, avid St. Louis Cardinal baseball fans.

Sigma Beta Delta Board of Directors

A link to Don’s obituary