Interview of Rick Van Brimmer by Alice Duncanson
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Date
2024
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Publisher
Ohio State University Archives
Abstract
Rick Van Brimmer came to Ohio State first as an undergraduate, and he eventually served as the Assistant Vice President of Advancement Affinity and Trademark Management. Van Brimmer earned a bachelor's degree in communications, and he also earned a master's degree in Sports Management. After graduation, he worked for two years for the University of Mississippi, then he returned to the OSU Department of Athletics to work in its Office of Sports Information. During that time, he met Anne Chasser, the founder of OSU's Office of Trademark and Licensing, and she hired him as an editor. When Chasser left for another position, the University offered that job to Van Brimmer. In the interview, Van Brimmer discusses the many changes that occurred during his 30-plus career as the head of Trademark and Licensing, including the huge increase in licensing income, and the changes in distribution of that income to various OSU sources, such as the Libraries and student scholarships. He also discusses his involvement in the Collegiate Social Responsibility Movement, which developed labor and environmental standards for universities' trademark and licensing vendors to follow. In addition, he discusses his development of undergraduate courses to help students learn real-world situations as they relate to marketing. Van Brimmer also discusses the misperception people have about who benefits from trademark and licensing, and why the University defends its trademarks so vigorously, such as its legal action over "THE" as it relates to the The Ohio State University. Van Brimmer won the Distinguished Staff award in 1997; he retired in 2021.
Description
Interview conducted at The Ohio State University Archives, Columbus, Ohio.