Related Links: About MVNU | Jetter School of Business

Jetter, who passed away in July of this year, served as a member of the Site Search/Selection Committee in the mid-1960s that initially chose Mount Vernon as the location for a university. He was also the institution’s first treasurer and chair of the Finance Committee on the Board of Trustees for 31 years.

He was the founder and CEO of Fort Recovery Industries, a supplier of die cast hardware and components for marketing-leading manufacturers worldwide. Inspired by R. G. LeTourneau, an industrial philanthropist instrumental in building a college in Texas, Jetter dreamed of bringing a Christian college to Ohio.

"George Jetter embodied a spirit of entrepreneurship, faith and loyalty in his working life and in his philanthropic life. His dedication to Christian higher education and MVNU, specifically, resulted in greater educational opportunities for thousands of Midwestern students,” said University President Dr. Dan Martin. “It is only fitting to honor the memory of this dynamic, yet humble, man by naming our School of Business in his honor.”

For decades, Jetter and his wife Esther have been faithful supporters of the MVNU community, both through prayers and finances. Displaying their passion for children, family, entrepreneurship and education, their family provided funds that helped build the Free Enterprise Business Center and the Jennie K. Moore Family and Consumer Sciences Center. They also established the Jetter Mission Endowed Scholarship in their desire to see future leaders become ambassadors of Christ proclaiming the Gospel in obedience to the Great Commission.

Jetter received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from MVNU in 1978. He and Esther were also honored with the Citation of Merit award at General Assembly 2001—the highest honor anyone can receive from MVNU.

An official presentation regarding the naming of the Jetter School of Business was made to Esther by the Board of Trustees on Nov. 5. Four of George and Esther’s children and three grandchildren are MVNU graduates.

Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students and working adults. U.S. News & World Report ranks MVNU in the top 50 Best in the Midwest (Baccalaureate) institutions for the sixth year in a row. With a 400-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, and eight additional satellite Adult and Graduate Studies sites throughout the state, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education to more than 2,600 students from 25 states and eight countries/U.S. territories.