Robert Straus Lipman was born in 1952 in Nashville, Tenn. He received his bachelor’s degree in General Studies from the University of Kentucky in 1974. While at UK, Lipman was a cheerleader and a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. Today, Robert Lipman is President and CEO of Lipman Brothers, Inc., a third-generation family business with its roots in Franklin, Ky., and the RS Lipman Company. Both companies are based in Nashville, with additional facilities in East Tennessee. Lipman Brothers was established in 1939 and holds License Permit no. 1, making it the oldest distributor of wine and spirits in Tennessee. It is also the largest independent distributor in the state. Lipman is active within the industry and is a former Chairman and President of the Wine & Spirit Wholesalers of America. He received the organization’s Lifetime Leadership Award in 2008. Lipman was an early member of the Arts & Sciences Dean’s Advisory Board and is a current member of the Dean’s National Strategy Council. He is a lifetime member of the UK Alumni Association and a founding member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Alumni Association. In 2001, he created the Research Fund for the Prevention of Drug and Alcohol Abuse in the UK Department of Psychology. More recently, he has established the Robert S. Lipman Graduate Fellowships in History and Psychology to enhance recruitment of top graduate students to the University.