Robert Culp Jr., founder of Culp Inc., a High Point upholstery manufacturer, was remembered Wednesday as a business pioneer, a civic leader, a friend and a family man.
Culp, 74, who died last Monday apparently of an aneurysm, was eulogized during a ceremony at First Presbyterian Church in High Point. About 800 people attended. "I have never seen so many people in our church," said George Erath, chairman of the board of Erath Veneer Corp. of Virginia and a friend of Culp's for more than 20 years. "That tells you about the person."
"He believed in doing as much as he could for his employees ... (and) his ethical standards were above reproach."
Jacob Martinson, president of High Point University, said last week that Culp was "a thorough and observant and imaginative, true gentleman."
After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, Culp joined Golding Brothers, a mattress and drapery fabrics supplier in Chicago. He left for a short time to serve in the Army during World War II. Upon returning, Mr. Culp presented the idea to Golding to start a division in the furniture capital of High Point, N.C. to supply upholstery fabric to the furniture industry. He and his wife, Esther, moved to High Point in 1948, where he launched the new division and directed sales for many prosperous years. In 1967, W.R. Grace Co. purchased Golding.
Mr. Culp left Golding and founded R.G. Culp and Associates in 1972. "When everybody else would be thinking about retirement, Bob decided to go into business for himself," said Phil Phillips, president of First Factors Corp.
The company grew from four employees to a publicly owned corporation, Culp Inc., with more than 1,700 employees and manufacturing and distribution facilities in four states. Culp was chairman emeritus of the company at the time of his death. His son, Robert G. Culp III, is chairman and CEO. Culp also was a member of the board of trustees of High Point Regional Hospital and the Presbyterian Home and chairman emeritus of First Union Bank in High Point.
A chair of ethics was endowed last year in Culp's name at High Point University. "Bob certainly laid hold on life and kept the Christian faith as that which shaped his lifestyle," said the Rev. Scott Woodmansee, senior minister at First Presbyterian Church.
(By Greensboro News and Record on Oct 20, 1991)
Additional info from https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/4570413/Careers/PDF/Culp-History-Final-Sept-28.pdf?hsCtaTracking=061a2ff2-b6fd-4943-adbd-1bce653fdebd%7Cc664577a-84a3-4db4-b11c-36c96178239a
Culp, 74, who died last Monday apparently of an aneurysm, was eulogized during a ceremony at First Presbyterian Church in High Point. About 800 people attended. "I have never seen so many people in our church," said George Erath, chairman of the board of Erath Veneer Corp. of Virginia and a friend of Culp's for more than 20 years. "That tells you about the person."
"He believed in doing as much as he could for his employees ... (and) his ethical standards were above reproach."
Jacob Martinson, president of High Point University, said last week that Culp was "a thorough and observant and imaginative, true gentleman."
After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, Culp joined Golding Brothers, a mattress and drapery fabrics supplier in Chicago. He left for a short time to serve in the Army during World War II. Upon returning, Mr. Culp presented the idea to Golding to start a division in the furniture capital of High Point, N.C. to supply upholstery fabric to the furniture industry. He and his wife, Esther, moved to High Point in 1948, where he launched the new division and directed sales for many prosperous years. In 1967, W.R. Grace Co. purchased Golding.
Mr. Culp left Golding and founded R.G. Culp and Associates in 1972. "When everybody else would be thinking about retirement, Bob decided to go into business for himself," said Phil Phillips, president of First Factors Corp.
The company grew from four employees to a publicly owned corporation, Culp Inc., with more than 1,700 employees and manufacturing and distribution facilities in four states. Culp was chairman emeritus of the company at the time of his death. His son, Robert G. Culp III, is chairman and CEO. Culp also was a member of the board of trustees of High Point Regional Hospital and the Presbyterian Home and chairman emeritus of First Union Bank in High Point.
A chair of ethics was endowed last year in Culp's name at High Point University. "Bob certainly laid hold on life and kept the Christian faith as that which shaped his lifestyle," said the Rev. Scott Woodmansee, senior minister at First Presbyterian Church.
(By Greensboro News and Record on Oct 20, 1991)
Additional info from https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/4570413/Careers/PDF/Culp-History-Final-Sept-28.pdf?hsCtaTracking=061a2ff2-b6fd-4943-adbd-1bce653fdebd%7Cc664577a-84a3-4db4-b11c-36c96178239a
Robert Culp Jr., founder of Culp Inc., a High Point upholstery manufacturer, was remembered Wednesday as a business pioneer, a civic leader, a friend and a family man.
Culp, 74, who died last Monday apparently of an aneurysm, was eulogized during a ceremony at First Presbyterian Church in High Point. About 800 people attended. "I have never seen so many people in our church," said George Erath, chairman of the board of Erath Veneer Corp. of Virginia and a friend of Culp's for more than 20 years. "That tells you about the person."
"He believed in doing as much as he could for his employees ... (and) his ethical standards were above reproach."
Jacob Martinson, president of High Point University, said last week that Culp was "a thorough and observant and imaginative, true gentleman."
After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, Culp joined Golding Brothers, a mattress and drapery fabrics supplier in Chicago. He left for a short time to serve in the Army during World War II. Upon returning, Mr. Culp presented the idea to Golding to start a division in the furniture capital of High Point, N.C. to supply upholstery fabric to the furniture industry. He and his wife, Esther, moved to High Point in 1948, where he launched the new division and directed sales for many prosperous years. In 1967, W.R. Grace Co. purchased Golding.
Mr. Culp left Golding and founded R.G. Culp and Associates in 1972. "When everybody else would be thinking about retirement, Bob decided to go into business for himself," said Phil Phillips, president of First Factors Corp.
The company grew from four employees to a publicly owned corporation, Culp Inc., with more than 1,700 employees and manufacturing and distribution facilities in four states. Culp was chairman emeritus of the company at the time of his death. His son, Robert G. Culp III, is chairman and CEO. Culp also was a member of the board of trustees of High Point Regional Hospital and the Presbyterian Home and chairman emeritus of First Union Bank in High Point.
A chair of ethics was endowed last year in Culp's name at High Point University. "Bob certainly laid hold on life and kept the Christian faith as that which shaped his lifestyle," said the Rev. Scott Woodmansee, senior minister at First Presbyterian Church.
(By Greensboro News and Record on Oct 20, 1991)
Additional info from https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/4570413/Careers/PDF/Culp-History-Final-Sept-28.pdf?hsCtaTracking=061a2ff2-b6fd-4943-adbd-1bce653fdebd%7Cc664577a-84a3-4db4-b11c-36c96178239a
Culp, 74, who died last Monday apparently of an aneurysm, was eulogized during a ceremony at First Presbyterian Church in High Point. About 800 people attended. "I have never seen so many people in our church," said George Erath, chairman of the board of Erath Veneer Corp. of Virginia and a friend of Culp's for more than 20 years. "That tells you about the person."
"He believed in doing as much as he could for his employees ... (and) his ethical standards were above reproach."
Jacob Martinson, president of High Point University, said last week that Culp was "a thorough and observant and imaginative, true gentleman."
After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, Culp joined Golding Brothers, a mattress and drapery fabrics supplier in Chicago. He left for a short time to serve in the Army during World War II. Upon returning, Mr. Culp presented the idea to Golding to start a division in the furniture capital of High Point, N.C. to supply upholstery fabric to the furniture industry. He and his wife, Esther, moved to High Point in 1948, where he launched the new division and directed sales for many prosperous years. In 1967, W.R. Grace Co. purchased Golding.
Mr. Culp left Golding and founded R.G. Culp and Associates in 1972. "When everybody else would be thinking about retirement, Bob decided to go into business for himself," said Phil Phillips, president of First Factors Corp.
The company grew from four employees to a publicly owned corporation, Culp Inc., with more than 1,700 employees and manufacturing and distribution facilities in four states. Culp was chairman emeritus of the company at the time of his death. His son, Robert G. Culp III, is chairman and CEO. Culp also was a member of the board of trustees of High Point Regional Hospital and the Presbyterian Home and chairman emeritus of First Union Bank in High Point.
A chair of ethics was endowed last year in Culp's name at High Point University. "Bob certainly laid hold on life and kept the Christian faith as that which shaped his lifestyle," said the Rev. Scott Woodmansee, senior minister at First Presbyterian Church.
(By Greensboro News and Record on Oct 20, 1991)
Additional info from https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/4570413/Careers/PDF/Culp-History-Final-Sept-28.pdf?hsCtaTracking=061a2ff2-b6fd-4943-adbd-1bce653fdebd%7Cc664577a-84a3-4db4-b11c-36c96178239a
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