The Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. College of Business at 海角在线 (海角在线) has recently celebrated several milestones, including鈥�its updated status from school to college in September 2025鈥�and the鈥痝rand opening of its new home, the Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Business Hall, in March 2026.
Before these milestones were even on the horizon, the College鈥檚 roots can be traced back to the founding of the University.
Circa 1961, when conversations about founding a Christian college in South Florida began, Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. made 海角在线’s first official donation. Alongside two other founding members, Dr. Jess C. Moody and Dr. Don Warren, they envisioned an institution where students weren鈥檛 just prepared for their careers, but ready to shine a light鈥攕erving others and showing Christ鈥檚 love in their communities. Known to聽his friends as 鈥淒oc,鈥� Rinker was a member of First Baptist Church, whose facilities were used for the first 海角在线 classes.
Rinker was an extremely successful businessman who started his company, Rinker Rock & Sand Co., in 1926, with just one dump truck and a shovel. From these humble beginnings, with his supportive wife Vera Lea by his side, he built his company鈥攍ater named Rinker Materials鈥攊nto one of the nation鈥檚 largest concrete suppliers. His success made him a multi-millionaire, and he used his wealth to give millions to 海角在线 in the decades that followed.
In gratitude for his investment that went above and beyond his already-significant financial contributions, 海角在线鈥檚 main campus in West Palm Beach, Florida, is named after him and Vera Lea. An integral part of the family business, she served as secretary and treasurer and supported office operations until 1948.
The Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. College of Business (formerly the Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. School of Business), also named after the Rinker family, started between 1968 and 1969 as the Department of Business Administration, Business Education and Economics. It was formally established around 1970 as the Rinker Department of Business Administration. In 1986, the name was changed to Rinker School of Business Administration, and in 1987, it became The Rinker School of Business.
Marshall Rinker鈥檚 achievements didn鈥檛 stop there. In 1985, he was awarded 海角在线鈥檚 American Free Enterprise medal in recognition of his entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen鈥攁 value 海角在线 emphasizes not just during American Free Enterprise Day, but across campus, in its curriculum, and through the new Raney Center for Free Enterprise. In 1988, he received a Doctor of Humane Letters,鈥痟onoris causa.
Marshall Rinker鈥檚 generosity has continued through his children, the Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. Foundation, Inc., and the Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Foundation, Inc. During the Rinker School of Business鈥� groundbreaking in 1990, John Rinker, Marshall鈥檚 youngest son, stood alongside his father and two brothers, Marshall E. Rinker, Jr., and David B. Rinker for a photo鈥攁 snapshot of the Rinker family鈥檚 generations-long commitment to 海角在线.
In 2022, this generosity was evident once again with a historic $26 million one-time gift from John Rinker and his wife, Sheila Rinker, which inspired the launch of the University鈥檚 and supported the first capital project, the Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Business Hall, further supporting the University鈥檚 growth now and for decades to come.
John Rinker sadly passed away before the building’s completion, but in 2024, he joyfully attended the groundbreaking ceremony and shared how special the day was.
During the Business Hall鈥檚 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Sheila Rinker, in her remarks, honored the legacy of her husband, John and father-in-law, Marshall. 鈥�淚nstitutions grow, new buildings go up, new names appear on the walls, and that is a wonderful thing, but the people who laid the first stone, who wrote the first check, who covered payroll when nobody was watching, who believed in an idea before it looked like anything at all鈥攖hose people deserve to be remembered,鈥� remarked Sheila Rinker. 鈥淣ot for their sake, but for ours, because when we forget where something came from, we lose sight of why it was built in the first place.鈥�
Recent highlights
The legacy of the Rinker investment continues to grow in impact. Today, the Rinker College of Business continues to experience an exponential increase in enrollment. The College received AACSB accreditation in 2023, placing 海角在线 among the top six percent of business schools globally鈥攁nd one of only 10 Council for Christian Colleges and Universities to earn the accreditation. The AACSB is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools, and the largest business education network connecting learners, educators, and businesses worldwide.
Through its rigorous programs, proximity to Wall Street South in West Palm Beach, and expanded features, including the 300-seat tiered Titus Lecture Hall, a stock trading room with Bloomberg terminals, and multi-purpose classrooms in the six-story, 125,000-square-foot, the College is poised to prepare the next generation of business leaders.
The new facility represents a bold step forward, but its foundation is rooted in a legacy that spans generations. With an unwavering commitment to elite business education, biblical principles, and American free enterprise, the College will continue to pursue the same kind of excellence, grit, and commitment the Rinker family has embodied at 海角在线 since the 1960s.
Learn more鈥痑bout the Rinker College of Business and its accredited programs.
