College mourns passing of distinguished alumnus, Orange County business leader Chuck Martin

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Alumnus Charles "Chuck" Martin passed away on March 28 at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, California, after a long and courageous fight against cancer. He was 80.

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Martin was honored with the College of Engineering’s prestigious Benjamin G. Lamme Meritorious Achievement Medal in 2007 for his accomplishments in business, finance and higher education.

An Ohio State engineering physics graduate (BS ’60), Martin was well-known in Orange County for the impact he had on numerous local businesses and institutions, including UC Irvine and Chapman University. 

He was chairman and CEO of Mont Pelerin Capital, an equities hedge fund. During the 1980s and ’90s, he had a distinguished career as the founder and manager of two investment firms, Enterprise Partners and Westar Capital. In addition, for 25 years Martin co-owned TEC International, now known as Vistage, an executive development program with more than 20,000 CEO members worldwide. Spanning 35 years, he served on the boards of 47 public and private companies.

Martin was a trustee of the University of California, Irvine Foundation for more than a decade and a trustee of Chapman University for 25 years. He also served on the University of California Board Of Regents’ investment advisory committee, which oversees the endowment and pension plans for all UC campuses.

A gifted writer, Martin authored four books and numerous published articles on investment strategy, global economics, public policy and higher education issues.

Read more about Chuck in his obituary.

Category: Alumni