Karl Peace, described as a professor, author, entrepreneur, consultant, and even visionary, has led an incredible life which started with very humble beginnings.

Born the son of a sharecropper in Southern Georgia, Karl’s childhood was a harsh existence with his family moving from place to place to find work. During 9th grade, Karl recognized that he was his family’s only hope to provide his mother and two siblings with security and a future. Karl said that despite being only 14 he realized “I had the capacity to work and could do anything if I worked hard enough.” That hard work paid off. The principal of the local high school took Karl to visit what was then Georgia Teachers’ College (now Georgia Southern University), where he was admitted provided he could pay for the first two quarters. The principal’s friend agreed to loan Karl the money ($532) to enroll. For the rest of his undergraduate years Karl worked seven part-time jobs to pay tuition and support his family back home. 

“I had the capacity to work and could do anything if I worked hard enough.” 

He went on to earn a master’s degree in mathematics from Clemson University and a Ph.D. in biostatistics from MCV (now VCU). He worked in the world of pharmaceuticals, even starting his own biostatistics consulting firm, but always kept a foot in the classroom. Karl has been an adjunct faculty member at Duke University, VCU, the University of Michigan, University of North Carolina, and Temple University. He served as a tenured professor at Randolph-Macon College from 1969-1978 teaching applied mathematics. Karl is still in the classroom at the place that allowed him to start his incredible journey, Georgia Southern University, where he established the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health in honor of his late wife. When there were no biostatistics degree programs nor any school or college of public health in the University System of Georgia, Karl saw the need to bring together the world of biostatistics and public health and designed a curriculum to accomplish this goal offering students advanced degrees in the field. Karl is also a generous philanthropist who has endowed 21 scholarships and 4 eminent scholar chairs across 5 institutions as well as the Moore-Peace Prize in Mathematical Scholarship at Randolph-Macon College.

Karl funded this prize out of admiration and respect for former mathematics professor Dr. Ronald Moore, whom he considered a gifted teacher of great character. Karl fully endowed the fund, and the prize is given annually to a senior mathematics major who has demonstrated academic achievement and promise for graduate study in mathematics. Karl has also created two charitable gift annuities that will provide additional funding for the Moore-Peace Prize after his death to ensure the prize will continue in perpetuity. Randolph-Macon College is grateful to Dr. Karl Peace for all he has done to benefit students and treasures the legacy that he is creating for generations of RMC students to come. Karl is an inspiration to others by setting an example of what can be accomplished with a goal and hard work.