“The purpose of the Institute for Ethics is to encourage discussion on campus, in businesses and in the community about how ethical decision-making can be the basis of both personal and professional success.” --Robert J. Rutland Robert Rutland's generous support of Clemson’s Institute for Ethics reflects his long-standing commitment to promoting ethics in the workplace and the community. In 1934 Rutland’s grandfather founded Allied Holdings Inc., a company committed to treating people with respect. Rutland believes that this "human touch" approach underpins Allied’s solid, lasting relationships with customers and guides its focus on the safety and well-being of its employees. As chairman of Allied Holdings, Rutland helped pioneer the field of industrial chaplaincy. Rutland is very active in his church and community. He is a member and Deacon at First Baptist Church in Covington, Georgia. He is the director of Fidelity National Bank in Decatur and Georgians for Better Transportation. He is former chair of the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce and the Sam Jones Boy’s Club. He was a trustee of Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, and of Atlanta Youth for Christ. He was named the 1997 Executive of the Year by Georgia Securities and was a 2000 finalist for the Entrepreneur of the Year for the Southeast.