The Gore Award of Excellence

The University of Delaware is honored to administer an award that bears the name of Bill Gore. It is fitting that an award that celebrates the achievement of exemplary management systems be named for a man who dedicated his professional life to the same goals.

Bill Gore advocated and practiced a unique management style, which lives on at Gore, stressing freedom, fairness, commitment and sound decision-making in an open and creative work environment. He believed that each person within an organization is responsible for the level of quality in the products and services it offers its customers and stakeholders. This belief coupled with a management style that supports a productive work environment has guided W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. to become a leading competitor in today’s business world.

In addition to his many talents and expertise as a scientist and business leader, Bill Gore also shared his perspective to integrate quality concepts and systems in his immediate community as well as internationally. He shared his perspective on achieving quality in a variety of ways outside the organization. These efforts include his role as a founding member of the Delaware section of the American Society for Quality and as a member of the United Nations Technical Assistance Administration team that assisted India in adopting concepts and techniques for effective quality control.