Greenville business leader dies at 80

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Greenville civic and business leader and philanthropist Hayne Hipp, 80, died Aug. 27 from cancer.

Hipp helped jumpstart the Urban League of the Upstate, leadership-incubator Liberty Fellowship and Public Education Partners, an education fund and advocacy group formerly known as the Alliance for Quality Education, according to his obituary. Hayne also served as the CEO of Liberty Corp., a publicly-traded insurance and media company founded by his grandfather Frank Hipp, for 27 years.

He and his wife, Anna Kate, helped raise funding for the construction of the Liberty Bridge, named after his family's business.

According to Hipp’s obituary, the state of South Carolina awarded him with its highest civilian honor, the Order of the Palmetto, and he also served as a member of the board of directors for the Greenville Chamber over the years among other local, state and national boards.

 In 2015, Hipp was named one of GSA Business Report’s Top 20 Influential Leaders.

The Greenville Chamber released the following statement following his death:

“The Greenville Chamber joins our community in mourning Hayne Hipp’s passing while celebrating his life and inestimable contributions. He influenced Greenville’s trajectory and evolution through his storied community engagement, including his many years of service on the chamber’s board of directors, serving as its chair in 1985. We have all benefitted from and will miss Hayne’s fresh and candid perspectives on matters to improve the wellbeing of our community and state. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Hipp family as they reflect on Hayne’s wonderful life.”