Happy Birthday, Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School Dean Jay Light cuts the first piece of a giant cake modeledafter the school's Baker Library. BOSTON — More than 3,000 members of the Harvard Business School community-MBA and doctoral students, faculty, and staff-came together yesterday for a day-long series of festivities and special events to celebrate the Centennial anniversary of the School. On April 8, 1908, the Harvard University Board of Overseers approved the establishment of a graduate school of business administration, the first in the world to offer the MBA degree. Described as "a great but delicate experiment," HBS started with a full-time faculty of fifteen, a handful of staff, and a student body of fewer than a hundred. The School had no buildings of its own until a gift from New York financier George F. Baker in 1924 enabled the construction of a campus on the Allston side of the Charles River. In the decades since, HBS has flourished, setting a high standard in the quality of its teaching, research, and course development and dedicating itself to its mission of educating leaders who make a difference in the world. HBS helped establish and develop such fields as organizational behavior, marketing, managerial accounting, and corporate strategy. The School is now at the forefront in addressing important issues affecting companies and countries, large corporations and small startups, for-profit businesses and social enterprises. "On this truly unique occasion," said the Centennial celebration program, "we come together to celebrate an institution that has not only left its mark around the globe but played an important role in our own lives. Today, as we continue to contribute to the success of Harvard Business School, we become part of its Centennial history as well." The day opened with a convocation that included remarks by HBS Dean Jay Light, Harvard University President Drew Faust, HBS Professor and Senior Associate Dean John Quelch PDF transcript, Director of Administrative Services Robert Breslow, and Jimmy Tran, a second-year student in the MBA program PDF transcript. "What has been accomplished here in 100 short years is truly remarkable," said Professor Quelch. "The lives of alumni transformed by an unparalleled commitment to teaching excellence and by the lifelong friendships nurtured in our classrooms; millions of jobs created by the business leaders and entrepreneurs whom we, as faculty, have had the privilege of coaching; hundreds of scholars who have advanced our understanding of management, leadership and wealth creation, generously funded by HBS to pursue their intellectual agendas; and thousands of staff members and their families who have taken pride in being associated with this fine and caring school." After the convocation - and for the first time in HBS history - the same case study was taught simultaneously across campus to all members of the community. Prepared by Senior Lecturer Michael Roberts, HBS in 2008 put readers in the role of Dean Light as he focused on the future of HBS in the 21st century. A lunch at Harvard's Murr Center featuring a video that highlighted the many behind-the-scenes contributions of the School's staff members was followed by a portfolio of student-organized panels and talks that ran concurrently throughout the campus:
Other attractions included an art exhibit showcasing the talents of HBS students, faculty, and staff, and a gallery talk at Baker Library titled " A Daring Experiment: Harvard and Business Education for Women, 1937-1970." The festivities concluded with refreshments, entertainment, and a huge cake in the neoclassical likeness of Library, which has been the iconic image of Harvard Business School since the building opened in June 1927. |
About Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School, located on a 40-acre campus in Boston, was founded in 1908 as part of Harvard University. It is among the world's most trusted sources of management education and thought leadership. For more than a century, the School's faculty has combined a passion for teaching with rigorous research conducted alongside practitioners at world-leading organizations to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. Through a dynamic ecosystem of research, learning, and entrepreneurship that includes MBA, Doctoral, Executive Education, and Online programs, as well as numerous initiatives, centers, institutes, and labs, Harvard Business School fosters bold new ideas and collaborative learning networks that shape the future of business.