Clifton Wharton, Jr., the first Black president of Michigan State University and the first Black chancellor of the State University of New York system, passed away on November 16. He was 98 years old.
Dr. Wharton’s career spanned higher education, business, philanthropy, and public service. In 1948, he was appointed to oversee foreign philanthropic initiatives for the Rockefeller family. He worked in economic development with several South East Asian countries. He had a stint teaching economics and researching international trade and agricultural economics at the University of Malaya. In 1958, he joined the Agricultural Development Council as an associate in Malaysia, ultimately earning an appointment as the council’s vice president.
In 1970, Dr. Wharton transitioned to U.S. higher education as the first Black president of Michigan State University, making him the first African American to lead a major predominately-White institution in the United States. After eight years of service, he was named the first Black chancellor of the State University of New York. He served in this capacity for nine years and spent five years concurrently as the chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation.
Outside of his career in academia, Dr. Wharton had an extensive corporate background. He held leadership roles with several prominent organizations, including Ford Motor Company, Time Warner, and the Public Broadcasting Service. In 1987, he was appointed chairman and CEO of TIAA-CREF, becoming the first Black CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
Throughout his career, Dr. Wharton also held several formal and informal advisory appointments for five U.S. presidents. In 1993, he served as deputy secretary of state under President Bill Clinton.
In recognition of his impressive career, Dr. Wharton received over 60 honorary doctorates from institutions around the world. Less than ten years ago, Dr. Wharton documented his life in his memoir, Privilege and Prejudice: The Life of a Black Pioneer (Michigan State University, 2015).
Dr. Wharton earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Harvard University. He was the first African American to earn a master’s degree in international affairs from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He received a second master’s degree and Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago.
