Robert Hugh Daniel
Robert Hugh Daniel | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date |
| Died | October 27, 1983 (aged 77) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, philanthropist |
| Known for | Chairman and CEO of Daniel International Corporation; founder of the Daniel Foundation of Alabama |
Robert Hugh Daniel (born September 1, 1906 – passed away October 27, 1983) served as chairman and CEO of Daniel International Corporation, an enterprise he co-established with his brother in 1934. With headquarters located in both Greenville, South Carolina, and Birmingham, Alabama, Daniel International grew to become one of the world’s foremost construction and engineering companies. In 1977, Fluor Corporation purchased the firm. Daniel was also the founder of the Daniel Foundation of Alabama, which ranks among the state's most prominent philanthropic organizations. He resided in Mountain Brook, Alabama, and died in Birmingham in 1983.
Personal life
R. Hugh Daniel completed his studies at The Citadel in 1929, where he was active as a varsity athlete in football and basketball and served as editor of the student newspaper. Prior to his career in construction within Alabama, he held the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy and became well-known for his charitable contributions. His community involvement included memberships in the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Canterbury Methodist Church, Birmingham Country Club, Mountain Brook Club, Relay House, and the Chi Psi fraternity.
In 1954, Daniel played a role in founding the American States' Rights Association, an organization supporting segregationist policies.
Business
In 1934, R. Hugh Daniel joined forces with his brother Charles to launch Daniel Corporation. The firm focused on extensive construction projects, real estate development, and industrial contracting services. By 1975, their workforce surpassed 40,000 employees with annual revenues exceeding $950 million. The company was acquired by Fluor Corporation in 1977; following this merger, the combined business operated under the name Fluor Daniel until 2002 when “Daniel” was removed from the corporate title.
Beyond his corporate leadership, Daniel held the position of chairman for Central Bank of Birmingham (currently BBVA Compass) and participated on boards including Central Banchares, Inc., Birmingham Museum of Art, Baptist Hospitals Foundation, among various other entities.
Philanthropy
Founded in 1954 by R. Hugh and Charles E. Daniel and based in Birmingham, Alabama, the Daniel Foundation functions as an endowment overseen by The Citadel’s Board of Visitors. Its mission includes providing scholarships, supporting athletic programs, funding discretionary projects, and backing The Citadel institutionally. The foundation has also contributed substantially to the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s music department in memory of Martha Stone Cobb Daniel, widow of R. Hugh Daniel.
The Citadel’s Daniel Library was dedicated to honor the brothers’ legacy in 1960. They additionally financed a carillon completed in 1984 as a tribute to Thomas Dry Howie, a fellow alumnus from The Citadel class. In 1980, R. Hugh Daniel gifted the 25-story Daniel Building located in Greenville to The Citadel—at that time considered the largest single donation ever made to an American college. In 2010, the foundation provided $1.5 million for a significant renovation of Daniel Library that improved entrances, study areas, and technological resources.