Rob E. Gregory Jr.

Gregory was the oldest of two sons of Robert E. Gregory Sr. and Ellen Gregory. He attended the University of South Carolina School of Law. He then studied at Harvard Business School.[1]

Gregory served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He and was legal assistant to the chief justice of the S.C. Supreme Court. He was later group vice president and general counsel to Spartan Mills. He then served as president of Lee Jeans, and later president of the overarching VF Corporation, owner of Lee Jeans, Vanity Fair, Wrangler Jeans, Jansport and The North Face.[1][2]

In 1992, he founded a consulting company. Clients included Gitano Group Inc. and London Fog. He served as the CEO of London Fog from January 1995 to March 1999, before choosing to step down to pursue running a private equity firm of his own.[3][4]

Gregory served on the boards of directors of numerous companies, and served on the Wofford College board of Trustees from 1986 to 1998, serving as chairman of the board from 1994 to 1998.[1]

In his later years, Gregory turned his focus from the business world to philanthropy, particularly in South Carolina.[2] He was chairman of the board of the Spartanburg County Foundation, the Spartanburg Regional Health System, Apella Health, and the Spartanburg Regional Foundation. He also served on the boards of the Spoleto Festival and the Charles Lea Center.[5]

Gregory received an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Wofford College in 1999 and the National Humanitarian Award from the Government of Israel.

He was elected to the Wofford Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.[1]

He was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina's highest civilian honor.[1][5]