Thomas Tiemann ’70

Thomas Tiemann ’70 died on December 21, 2023. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in New Jersey, where his father worked in the Anheuser-Busch plant in Newark. From his father’s long career with Anheuser-Busch and Pabst, Tom gained an appreciation of the brewery industry and its products. Tom’s mother came from a long line of ministers, a family heritage that led Tom to develop a strong faith (and commitment to) the United Church of Christ. After Dartmouth Tom earned a Ph.D. in economics from Vanderbilt University, where he met his future wife, Eileen McGrath. Tom and Eileen started their careers at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1984 Tom began a long stay at Elon University, where he became dean of the business school, director of the business fellows program, and Jefferson-Pilot Professor of Economics. The end of the Soviet Union opened a new area of interest. Tom studied how former Soviet bloc countries, especially Poland, transitioned their economies. He encouraged his students to engage with the larger world by leading study trips to Eastern Europe and developing an Elon business school dual-degree program with two European universities. In retirement Tom read, gardened, and served on community and church boards and as a trustee at Eden Seminary in St Louis.