​San Diego State University

Ron L. Fowler came from humble beginnings, but his drive and determination to become a successful businessman surfaced early in life. He worked his way through college and graduate school, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in business and economics from St. Thomas College and an M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota.

Mr. Fowler began his career at Theodore Hamm Brewing Co. in Minnesota. He quickly ascended through the ranks becoming a brand manager before he was recruited to the West Coast. Mr. Fowler served as director of marketing for Lucky Breweries in San Francisco and as regional sales manager for Olympia Brewing Co. in Washington.

Mr. Fowler later joined H.A. Levezzi Co. in San Diego serving first as the corporation's vice president / general manager and later as executive vice president and board member. During this time, Mr. Fowler was so confident that the company was primed for growth and product line expansion that he bought out their contract to distribute products south of Sorrento Mesa, thereby becoming the sole owner of the company he named Mesa Distributing. Over the course of two decades, Mr. Fowler expanded his beverage distribution entities into Northern California and Colorado. Liquid Investments, Inc. became the parent company of these various distributorships.

Mr. Fowler is now the chairman and CEO of Liquid Investments, Inc., parent company of a number of operating entities including Mesa Distributing Co., Inc., Mesa Beverage Co., Inc., Colorado Beverage Distributing, Inc., and Pierco Sales. Under his leadership, the business grew from a $7 million enterprise to an operation with estimated annual sales of more than $260 million.

In addition to successfully overseeing a multi-million dollar company, Mr. Fowler is an active San Diego civic leader. His relationship with San Diego State University began when he recognized the necessity of developing a more broadly based educational experience to enable graduates to succeed in the business environment. He became the founder of the Entrepreneurial Management Center at SDSU and later became the first chairman of The Campanile Foundation.

A sports enthusiast, he is a former owner of the San Diego Sockers professional soccer team. Mr. Fowler has served as vice president and executive committee member of the Greater San Diego Sports Association; chairman of the San Diego Hall of Champions; founding chairman and president of the San Diego International Sports Council; chairman of the Padres Task Force for a new ballpark; and chairman of the 2002 Super Bowl Host Committee.

In recognition of his lifelong commitment to excellence in business, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and San Diego State University are proud to confer upon Ron L. Fowler the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.