The Link: Special Centennial Edition

2008 marks 100 years of management education at Northwestern University. In anticipation of the Centennial Celebration that will run from October 2008 to May 2009, this special edition of The Link provides historical snapshots of the Kellogg School. These entries provide just give a glimpse of each decade; for a more thorough overview, make sure to visit the Centennial Web site. We hope that faculty and staff enjoy taking a look back.

All credit goes to Matt Golosinski, Kellogg School editorial director, whose upcoming history of the school provided the source material. "Wide Awake in the Windy City" - edited by Assistant Dean Richard Honack - will be published by NU Press this month.

In 1903, Northwestern University president Edmund Janes James minced no words when it came to the need for management education. "The average businessman is ignorant and inefficient and cowardly. He is helpless in a crisis."

Read More >

The 1910s: degree-granting programs arrive

In 1912, the School of Commerce launched a Bachelor's of Business program for its part-time evening students. The first graduate was David Himmelblau in 1914. The Iowa native remained on the faculty, becoming a full professor at Northwestern in 1919. He stayed with the university for his entire career . . .

Read More >

In 1920, the MBA was introduced at Northwestern, and in 1926, the PhD program was established. The School of Commerce also began to secure its physical presence at this time . . .

Read more >

By 1932-1933, the U.S. stock market had lost 90 precent of its 1929 value. With enrollment dropping and the school operating a deficit, Northwestern and the University of Chicago discussed a possible merger. The proposal disintegrated after alumni and the City of Evanston began sharing their displeasure. The presidents of both schools lamented "one of the lost opportunities of American education."

The 1940s and 1950s: intellectual roots and a knack for innovation emerge

Despite many of its competitors shutting down in the wake of the depression, sound management allowed the school to emerge with great vitality during the following two decades. There was also a renewed focus on intellectual rigor and leadership . . .

Read more >

The 1960s: making the modern faculty

The 1960s saw the arrival of many superstar Kellogg faculty with the emergence marketing department and the founding of the MEDS department.

One of the more colorful scholars was Steuart Britt, who was known for his Rolls-Royce and sharp attire, which included a bow tie. He was rumored to have no books in his office.

The 1970s: Deans John Barr and Donald Jacobs lead the way

Many of the key programmatic changes of the 1960s occurred under the leadership of Dean John Barr, who oversaw, among other things, the decision to eliminate the undergraduate program in 1966. He continued his bold moves into the 1970s.

Read more >

The 1980s: the world takes notice

By the 1980s, the Kellogg School was expanding upon the intellectual and cirricular foundations that had been laid, which brought with it much praise from members of the business community and media.

Read more >

The 1990s: fast times at the Kellogg School

Many of the innovations of the 1990s are likely familiar to faculty and staff because they've become staples of the Kellogg experience. The GIM program; the Global Executive MBA program; the joint-degree MMM program; the construction that bridges Andersen Hall with Leverone Hall; the #1 ranking for EMBA in BusinessWeek - all occurred during this 10-year stretch.

Modern Times: the Kellogg School looks ahead

This decade brought with it new leadership in the form of Dean Dipak C. Jain, as well as new programs reflecting the future of the MBA. The Kellogg-Miami EMBA program, the new Saturday Part-Time MBA Program, the Undergraduate Certificate Program are all examples of the emerging model of management education. New centers and scholarly pursuits have also arisen that are helping the Kellogg School to lead the way, including the Center for Executive Women, the Levy Institute for Entrepreneurial Practice, the SEEK Program and a series of diversity initiatives.

Read more >