Fred Angus Tarpley Jr.

Dr. Fred A. Tarpley, Jr., retired Professor of Economics at the Georgia Institute Of Technology; former Chief Economist of the U.S. Small Business Administration; and devoted brother, husband, father, and ‘Gramps’, passed away peacefully on November 30, 2019, surrounded by his family. He was 83 years old. He is preceded by his parents, Fred and Ann Tarpley, and his daughter, Louisa. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn; his daughter, Laurel Bassett, and her husband, Conrad; his son, Angus, and his wife, Mona; two grandchildren; and his brothers, John and Joe.

For over three decades, prior to his retirement in 1998, Fred was affiliated with the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Fred was a “Ramblin’ Reck from Georgia Tech” through and through. In addition to being a full Professor of Economics and a Professor Emeritus, he served as acting Dean of the Ivan Allen College of Business Administration (now the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts), and served in numerous leadership roles throughout his career.

During two periods of his career totaling nearly a decade, he took secondments to positions of service with the Federal Government. In the late ‘70s, Dr. Tarpley served at the National Science Foundation, the General Accounting Office, and the U.S. Small Business Administration, or SBA. Fred rejoined the SBA again in the mid-‘90s as the Chief Economist in the Office of Advocacy, where he focused on entrepreneurship, angel financing, and other ‘trickle up’ initiatives.

The son of a Baptist preacher, Fred lived in many towns throughout the South in his childhood, including in Tennessee and Kentucky. Eventually his family settled in Mississippi, where Fred attended Central High School, graduating in 1954. Fred was the oldest of three brothers. John, the middle brother, is a surgeon currently serving in Botswana, where his decades of work both stateside and in sub-Saharan Africa are indispensable in providing assistance to the Botswanan medical system. Joe, the youngest brother, is a Mississippian, salesman, and, most importantly, family man who helped to take care of Fred’s father, Fred Sr., and mother, Ann, in their later years. Fred loved his brothers deeply.

Fred was given the choice of enrolling at any university in the country, ‘so long as it was Baptist’. He chose Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where in addition to devoting himself to the game of bridge, DJing for the campus radio station, and being a leader of the Young Democrats, he graduated with distinction .

He received a prestigious scholarship to attend graduate school in New Orleans at Tulane University. He met his future wife, Carolyn, at Tulane, where she was enrolled in graduate studies in English.

After receiving his PhD in Economics in the early ‘60s, Fred and Carolyn moved to Atlanta, where he accepted a position with Georgia Tech.

In addition to his formidable career, Fred pursued a number of hobbies throughout his life. Fred loved to sing. In Atlanta, he sang midieval madrigals with the Meistersingers. After moving to the Washington, D.C. area in the mid-‘90s, he sang with the National Men’s Chorus and the Ron Freeman Chorale.

Fred had a penchant for overcoming obstacles and turning weaknesses into strengths. After being challenged to dance by Carolyn, Fred accepted the challenge and even took dancing classes to learn new moves. He and Carolyn were often the first ones on the dance floor, whether on a cruise to Europe or at their children’s weddings. Earlier in his life, Fred overcame a childhood stutter by taking speech lessons, participating in the debate team, DJing, and teaching.

Fred was a sports nut, be it football, basketball, or baseball. It was not unusual for him to have one game on the television while another played on the radio. His favorite teams included the Baylor Bears, the Atlanta Braves, and, of course, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Fred’s son cherishes the memory of attending Tech baseball games with his dad, where there was plenty of bleacher to explore while listening to the never-ending chants of the ‘rocker’.

Fred was a devoted and loving family man. He coached soccer and basketball for his kids’ teams. He dutifully carted his children to church multiple times each week, and for years drove his son to school every morning. He strongly believed in education, and was proud for his daughter to graduate from Birmingham Southern College and for his son to graduate from Boston University and Columbia University School of Law.

As a Professor, Dr. Tarpley had the perfect opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of his students, and he took that calling very seriously. Nothing pleased him more than the opportunity to reward the hard work and perseverance of a student, and to see them prosper academically and professionally. Over his career, he mentored countless students and young faculty members, and also provided advice to professional organizations and entrepreneurs.

Over the last many years, Fred has struggled with Alzheimer’s disease. A naturally outgoing person, he pulled back on a lot of social activities as the disease progressed. He nonetheless cherished his friends, colleagues, and family to the end of his days.

Fred has left a lasting legacy. He will be missed by his family, his friends, and all of those whose life he has touched.