Quiester Craig, dean emeritus of the School of Business and Economics at North Carolina A&T State University, passed away on December 12. He was 88 years old.
Dr. Craig began his four-decades-long tenure with NCA&T in 1972, when he joined the faculty as a professor of accounting and dean of the School of Business and Economics. In 1979, only seven years into his tenure, NCA&T became the first HBCU to earn accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. In 1986, the school earned a second accreditation, specifically for its accounting programs.
Under Dr. Craig’s leadership, NCA&T’s business school implemented alumni mentorship programs and developed partnerships with industry leaders to advise the HBCU on student development, curriculum updates, and faculty opportunities. During the 2003-2004 academic year, he oversaw construction of the school’s main building, which was later named in his honor upon his retirement in 2013. Over the next six years, the school was elevated to a college and named for Willie A. Deese, a retired Merck senior executive and Dr. Craig’s former student.
“Quiester Craig’s iconic leadership in business education at North Carolina A&T set a standard for the entire nation,” said NCA&T Chancellor James R. Martin II. “Those who chart contemporary success are often said to have stood on the shoulders of giants. Dr. Craig was one of those giants, and North Carolina A&T would not be where it is today without his incredible accomplishments and legacy.”
A two-time HBCU graduate, Dr. Craig earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Morehouse College and his MBA from what is now Clark Atlanta University. He earned his doctorate from the University of Missouri, where he became country’s tenth African American to hold a Ph.D. in accounting.
