Eugene Brigham

Eugene Foster Brigham, 94, of Gainesville, FL passed away on March 17, 2024. The son of Ruth Dye Brigham and Eugene Foster Brigham, Sr., Gene was born January 10, 1930 and was raised in Augusta, GA where he was a track star at Richmond Academy. Gene graduated from UNC Chapel Hill on a Navy ROTC scholarship, and he was captain of the UNC track team and a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. After his Navy tour serving as a supply officer on a destroyer in the Mediterranean, he went on to graduate school – choosing business school over law school because the registration line was shorter. That fortunate decision led to a successful career as a finance professor, textbook author, and consultant and expert witness in the public utility industry. After receiving his MBA and PhD from UC Berkeley, Gene had another lucky break during his time as a young associate professor at UCLA when his boss asked if he would be interested in a summer project updating a finance textbook. With his ability to clarify complex topics and bring in real-world examples that students could relate to, Gene eventually created a family of top-selling finance textbooks, including Fundamentals of Financial Management, Intermediate Financial Management, and Financial Management Theory and Practice. His books, some of which are now in their 17th editions, are used at more than 1,000 colleges worldwide and have been translated into 11 languages. Gene joined the finance faculty at the University of Florida in 1971 as a graduate research professor of finance, and in 1972 he co-founded the Public Utility Research Center (PURC) to enhance the understanding of issues facing energy, telecommunications, and water utilities and their regulatory agencies. The Eugene F. Brigham Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate Department at UF’s Warrington College of Business is named in his honor for his many contributions to the business school. More recently, he created the Brigham Finance Excellence Fund to support development, networking, and leadership opportunities for undergraduate finance students.

Gene was a resident of Oak Hammock at the University of Florida where he and his Golden Retriever, Honey, were a fixture in the community. Gene was a lifelong athlete, enjoying running, swimming, and hiking. Even well into his 80s, he participated in Backroads biking and hiking trips to Alaska, Norway, and New Zealand, among other destinations. For 30 years, he spent his summers in Highlands, NC as a member of Wildcat Cliffs Country Club, enjoying golf and hiking and sharing his love of the outdoors with his grandsons.

Gene was predeceased by his wife of 60 years, Suzanne Sharpe Brigham. He is survived by his daughters, Katherine (“Kitty”) Bosio of Marietta, GA and Laura Brigham of Reno, NV; his sons-in-law Glenn Bosio and Brian Beffort; and his grandsons John (“Jack”) Bosio and Logan Beffort. In addition, he leaves behind his sister, Susan Hochreiter. Gene is also survived by his loving companion during his time at Oak Hammock, Diane Haines. The family will hold a private burial at Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery or the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust.