J.SMITH FEREBEE - RVA's Legendary Encorepreneur

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26 -  7:30 AM

At our June breakfast on Wednesday, June 26, Gary LeClair and Stan Maupin will share the story of one of Richmond's most colorful entrepreneurial characters - J. Smith Ferebee. They will tell the story of Ferebee's best known feat as told in “King of Clubs – The Great Golf Marathon of 1938” by Virginia Sports Hall of Fame author Jim Ducibella. They will also share personal stories of Ferebee’s "never quit" philosophy and his early impact on Virginia’s entrepreneurial community. 

J. Smith Ferebee's most notable achievement was the result of a bet that he could complete 600 holes of golf in 8 cities across all 4 US time zones in just 4 days. News of the progress on the marathon captured the nation as a specially outfitted and decorated DC-3 crossed the nation carrying Ferebee, his caddies, a doctor and nurse. Each day started before dawn and lasted until past nightfall when car headlights and flares lit the courses. Ferebee won the bet, averaging 85.7 strokes per round and never losing a ball.

After moving to Richmond in 1970, Ferebee was a successful businessman who used his golf and skeet shooting skills to turn around a struggling insurance and brokerage business. He was an architect of the Virginia’s Republican Party, a winner of the Virginia’s Senior State Golf Championship, and one of VMI’s most admired and respected fund raisers. He also was a mentor to local encorepreneurs and one of the area’s first venture investors.

OUR HOST

   
3200 Rockbridge Street - 3rd Floor

Our Host for the June Encorepreneur breakfast, is Dominion Payroll. We will be returning to Dominion's  their modern new offices and community center in Scott's Addition. We will be meeting in the large training room that doubles as a venue for community activities supported by the company and its owners and employees.

Dominion's founders, David Gallagher and David Fratkin, wanted the company to invest in a property that both supported the company's needs and showed their support for the Richmond community. 

“You can feel the renaissance going on in Scott’s Addition: the energy, vitality and innovation are all around us and we wanted to be a part of it,” David Gallagher, CEO, said. "We’ve had this vision for a long time—about where we wanted to go as a company, and how we wanted to strengthen our roots in Richmond, a city that has given so much to us." 

The building is a showcase of modern architecture both inside and out, and local artisans were used to add unique features to the its interior, including a large painted mural and custom-fabricated reclaimed wood desks.