Robert Hugh Daniel was born on September 1, 1906 in Anderson, South Carolina. He was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Daniel International Corporation which he founded, along with his brother, in 1934. Daniel International, headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina and Birmingham, Alabama, grew to become one of the largest construction and engineering firms in the world. In 1977 Daniel International was acquired by Fluor Corporation. He was also the founder of the Daniel Foundation of Alabama, which is one of the largest charitable foundations in Alabama. Daniel and his wife lived in Mountain Brook, Alabama. Hugh died on October 27, 1983 in Birmingham.