As a real estate business, student housing has been getting much attention over the past few years thanks the growing echo boomer population and subsequent rising college enrollment. Yet the industry was doing quite well before it received its fame, thanks to a handful of early pioneers. Here's a look at some of the now-household names that helped to establish the modern student housing industry, and bring the sector into the spotlight.

David J. Adelman
William C. Bayless Jr.
Paul O. Bower
Robert D. Bronstein
Robert Clark
Jon Clayton
Nathan S. Collier
Joseph M. Coyle
Brian Dinerstein
Mike Godwin
Michael F. King
Michael S. McGrath
Henry A. Morton
Michael J. Peter
Frederick W. Pierce
Donna Preiss
Albert Rabil III
J. Wesley Rogers
Ted W. Rollins
Harold Rosenblum
William Ruvelson
Robert Shepko
Doug Sherman
Brian Thompson