Donor Profile | Don Dickinson

“Portland State has meant a lot to me. I really believe in its value because I’ve been a product of the university throughout multiple stages of my life,” says Portland State University donor Don Dickinson, who, along with his wife Anna and mother Irene, is responsible for one of more than 200 gifts made toward the School of Business' Karl Miller Center.

Dickinson is a Portland native and a first-generation college student. Though he entered PSU with an interest in architecture, he soon developed a passion for business—advertising in particular—after completing several business and marketing classes. Dickinson earned his BS in Marketing/Advertising in 1967 before working as an account executive for CBS Television in Portland and then as an assistant advertising manager at ESCO Corporation.

Dickinson’s supervisor at ESCO Corporation was completing PSU’s MBA program and encouraged him to pursue the program as well. With tuition assistance from ESCO Corporation and his next employer, Gerber Advertising Agency, he completed the MBA program in 1972. Dickinson was seen as bringing value to his organization because it was unusual for staff members at advertising agencies to have an MBA, he notes.

He continued to progress in his advertising career and never envisioned that teaching would be part of his future. When an advertising professor at University of Portland asked him to assist with teaching a couple of class sessions, “I found I liked working with the students,” Dickinson recalls.

Dickinson soon began teaching advertising classes at PSU on an adjunct basis while continuing to work as a senior partner at Gerber Advertising Agency. After several years, former PSU School of Business dean Roger Ahlbrandt approached him about the possibility of joining the School of Business faculty full-time and serving as director of SBA’s Advertising Management program. Dickinson accepted and worked in this capacity from 1998-2012.

During his time as program director, Dickinson developed and added two minors in advertising for Graphic Design and Communications majors. He also created new classes in account management, digital media and public relations and is the author of two text/tradebooks and two text/workbooks.

In addition, Dickinson supervised the creation of FIR Northwest, PSU’s student advertising agency that remains active today. His students earned five top-10 finishes at the American Advertising Federation’s annual National Student Advertising Competition and two gold medals and one silver medal in three years in the Collegiate Effie competition, where students create marketing communication cases that address real world marketing challenges.

Dickinson, who was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus of the PSU MBA program in 2010 and received the PSU Exceptional Performance Award in 2006, was granted faculty emeritus status in late 2016.

“Portland State has meant a lot to me. I really believe in its value because I’ve been a product of the university throughout multiple stages of my life."

His retirement in 2012 coincided with the initial planning for a new School of Business building. Dickinson encouraged then-SBA dean Scott Dawson to incorporate an advertising suite that would function as a creative laboratory for advertising students. The Karl Miller Center opened in September 2017, with the advertising suite bearing Dickinson’s name in recognition of his gift. This glass-surrounded workspace is equipped with computers and work walls, allowing building visitors to see students at work.

Dickinson believes that a dedicated SBA building will help to elevate the School’s reputation, as well as that of PSU. He encourages others to consider giving to PSU, especially if a particular building or program means a great deal to them. Dickinson also suggests that potential supporters explore the possibility of matching gifts. Additionally, donors with PSU in their wills might consider making a gift sooner, “which will allow them to enjoy the gift while they’re living,” he says.

As an alumnus with two PSU degrees, a former part-time adjunct faculty member turned full-time professor and director of the School of Business advertising program—and now a professor emeritus—Dickinson’s connection to the university runs deep. His gift to PSU is another enduring tie to the institution that has significantly shaped his life and career.