Vern Terpstra, professor emeritus of international business, died Nov. 6. He was 86 years old.
Terpstra was a beloved member of the Stephen M. Ross School of Business faculty community, colleagues say. He is remembered for his thought leadership as well as his warm persona and public citizenship. He was an expert in international marketing and highly respected among his peers as a great contributor to the intellectual development of the field.
During his career, Terpstra authored 12 books and numerous articles that appeared in U.S., European and Asian journals. He served as president and a fellow of the Academy of International Business. He taught also at the Wharton School, as well as in Britain, the Netherlands, China, Indonesia, Taiwan and Zaire; many of his students across the world kept in touch with him long after graduation. He consulted on international business issues with corporations in the United States and abroad, and he served on the editorial boards of several journals. Vern earned his Ph.D., MBA, and Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Michigan. He served as a faculty member from 1966 to 1992 and remained engaged in the Ross School long after his retirement.
Early in his career, he and his wife Bonnie served as missionaries in the Belgian Congo, where they helped build a school.
A memorial service for Terpstra will take place at 2 p.m. Friday at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Ann Arbor. A reception will follow.
— Submitted by Alison Davis-Blake, dean, Stephen M. Ross School of Business
