Under any circumstances, endowing a school chair is an extraordinary investment in Georgia Tech’s future. But there are moments when it is much more.

Mary Rockett Brock, honorary alumna, and John F. Brock III (ChE 1970, MS ChE 1971) have established an endowed school chair in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE).

Their $2.5 million commitment pushed the School as well as the College past their Campaign fundraising goals — $45 million and $480 million, respectively.

“John and Mary’s generosity to Georgia Tech in general and to Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in particular has been incredible,” says Professor and ChBE School Chair David Sholl.

“This chair will be instrumental in maintaining and improving ChBE’s position as one of the world’s elite programs.”

 The John F. Brock III School Chair will significantly enhance ChBE’s ability to recruit and retain preeminent senior faculty members to this leadership position for generations to come. It will also provide discretionary resources for the school chair to meet changing needs and to take maximum advantage of new opportunities as they arise.

For more than four decades, the Brocks have provided transformative and visionary support to Georgia Tech. They have focused their philanthropy on ChBE, intercollegiate athletics, and biomedical engineering.

And since 2010, they have provided indispensable leadership as co-chairs of Campaign Georgia Tech, working tirelessly to advance the philanthropic cause of the Institute. “This is a special opportunity that means so much to me,” Brock says.

“To be able to make this commitment to the School that nurtured my love of engineering, equipped me with the tools I needed to succeed, and provided opportunities I never would have dreamed of—it truly is an honor.”

That it was also the gift that brought ChBE and the College of Engineering past their Campaign totals was icing on the cake.

“John and I have been watching as Schools and Colleges get closer and closer to their goals, and then exceed them, and we were happy to join in the excitement that comes with that measure of success,” explains Mary Brock.

“But we are not done yet. We still have a few months left in this Campaign, and there is not a single unit that is resting on its laurels. This is Georgia Tech. We plan on finishing strong.”

John Brock’s extensive involvement with Tech includes appointments on multiple boards, including the Georgia Tech Foundation and the Georgia Tech Advisory Board.

In 2013, he received the J.M. Pettit Distinguished Service Award, and in 1996 he was named a College of Engineering Distinguished Alumnus.

After graduating from Tech, Brock joined Procter & Gamble as a project engineer in product development. He went on to Cadbury Schweppes and Interbrew, where he led the merger resulting in the creation of InBev, the largest brewer in the world by volume.

In 2006, Brock was named president and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises, and he was soon elected chairman of the board.

Recently, Brock was named CEO of Coca-Cola European Partners, a newly created company resulting from the merger of Coca-Cola Enterprises with two European subsidiaries.

As Sholl notes, “John’s career success is a wonderful example     of the observation that an engineering degree from Georgia Tech can lead anywhere.”

Mary Rockett Brock earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in science education from Miami University of Ohio.

A philanthropist, active community leader, and passionate advocate for women’s sports, she is a co-owner of the Women’s National Basketball Association team the Atlanta Dream.