History of Inclusion Efforts at SC Johnson College
Our History and Impact
Cornell University was founded with the vision of “any person, any study.” The Cornell SC Johnson College of Business has always prepared students of all backgrounds to do big things in the world. Here’s a reflection of our inclusion efforts from throughout the decades. Explore milestone moments across our three distinct schools.
Jane Stevens ’45 MBA ’48, the only woman in the inaugural class of 41 students in the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration (the Johnson School’s predecessor), graduates as the first woman to earn a Cornell MBA.
1950
Wilbur Parker in 1949
Wilbur Parker ’50 graduates as the first African American to earn a Cornell MBA. Throughout his career, Parker works to make a difference by combating racial injustice and helping others.
A World War II veteran, Parker was one of the U.S. Army Air Forces’ famed Tuskegee Airmen. In 1954, he became the first Black CPA in New Jersey, and in 1962, he became the first African American budget director for the city of Newark, NJ. In 1970, he became the first African American secretary of Newark’s Board of Education.
1980
The Black and Hispanic Graduate Business Students Association launches. Initially focused on professional networking and academic and social well-being, the club later expands its mission to increase recruitment of minority students.
1984
The Cornell Business Women’s Association is founded. Renamed the Women’s Management Council in 1990, the club focuses on increasing the enrollment of women, as well as promoting and supporting women in business.
National Society of Minority Hoteliers meeting in 1996
Four School of Hotel Administration students start a small on-campus club—the Society of Minority Hoteliers (SMH)—to support minority students searching for summer internships and career networking opportunities in hospitality. This group paves the way for future iterations of the club.
1994
The Johnson School joins the Robert Toigo Foundation’s MBA program for underrepresented minorities who plan to pursue careers in finance.
Noble-Grange proposed the new office to increase programming designed to attract and retain diverse students, enrich the pipeline of women and underrepresented minority leaders into corporate America, and foster a greater understanding of what constitutes an inclusive environment among all Johnson students, faculty, and staff.
2000
The Johnson School hosts its first Johnson Means Business event, a fall recruiting weekend designed to bring prospective underrepresented minority and LGBTQ+ applicants to campus.
Guests and MBA admissions representatives at Johnson Means Business in 2016
The award, later named in Parker’s honor, recognizes African American alumni who demonstrate outstanding professional achievement and commitment to their community and who embody the Johnson School’s shared values of mutual respect, collaboration, integrity and trust, pride and accountability, professionalism, and investment in self.
The Hispanic American Business Leaders Association (HABLA) is founded under the leadership of Marcella Ayala MBA ’04. The club focuses on providing programs, resources, and events that help foster growth as individuals, professionals, and scholars and share the Hispanic American culture and experience.
The Out for Business (O4B) club for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) Johnson School students, their partners, and active allies, is founded.
Partnership begins with Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), a nonprofit focused on ensuring that high-achieving women and men from underrepresented communities reach their full leadership potential.
Partnership begins with Forté, a consortium of major corporations, top business schools, and influential nonprofits, whose mission is to “launch women into fulfilling, significant careers through access to business education, professional development, and a community of successful women.”
Johnson women at the 2018 Forté conference
2005
The Women’s Management Council is founded to increase the enrollment of women at the Johnson School and promote and support women in business.
The Office for Women and Minorities in Business is renamed the Office of Diversity and Inclusion; Deniqua Crichlow is named director.
2009
The Johnson School joins the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, an elite nonprofit that promotes diversity and inclusion in global business education and leadership through admissions, recruitment, networking, and career development activities.
2010
The Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management is founded.
The Johnson School hosts its first Diversity Symposium, a student-led collaboration between the Black Graduate Business Association, the Latino Business Students Association (now the Latin American Business Association), and Cornell’s undergraduate Minority Business Students Association. It becomes an annual event.
Ken Gurrola MBA ’95 receives the inaugural Distinguished Latino Alumni Award, created to recognize alumni for exceptional achievements and significant contributions to their professions, community, and society as a whole; for their demonstrated commitment to the Johnson School; and for promoting the advancement of Latinos in the business world.
Lakshmi Bhojraj at the WIN Conference with a participant in 2016
The Johnson School holds its first Johnson Women in Business (JWiB) hosting weekend, an opportunity for prospective women students to experience what life at the Johnson School is like through class visits, seminars, and networking with current students, faculty, and staff.
Angela Noble-Grange MBA ’94, founder of ODI, receives the Wilbur Parker Distinguished Alumni Award—presented to her by Parker himself.
The Johnson School wins the Consortium’s TEAM (Together, Everyone Achieves More) Trophy in recognition of its commitment to enhance diversity and inclusion in global business education and leadership.
2013
The Johnson Women in Technology Conference is cofounded by Melissa Carr Adeyanju and Sarah Markels Maynard, both MBA ’14, to engage, connect, and inspire women to pursue their passion in technology.
2014
The Distinguished Latino Alumni Award is renamed the Carlos R. Quintanilla Distinguished Latino Alumni Award in honor of the 1980 MBA alumnus. Quintanilla received the award in 2011 in recognition of his championing the school’s efforts in Latin America and his philanthropy in developing student scholarship opportunities.
2015
Victor Younger in 2022
The Nolan School’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion is founded with Victor Younger named as founding director; the Nolan Enhancement Committee also forms.
2017
Professor David Wooten named founding associate dean of diversity and inclusion for the SC Johnson College of Business.
The Fiery Topics discussion series launches to provide a forum for students, faculty, and staff to confront headlines of the day, think about unconscious biases, and have open conversations focused on ensuring that everyone is treated equally, respectfully, and fairly.
Sandwiches and Sage Advice is founded by Johnson School female faculty members as a way to connect informally with women students.
2018
Dr. Jennifer Majka in 2021
The Dyson School Office of Diversity and Inclusion is founded, with Dr. Jennifer Majka named as founding director.
The Dyson School holds its inaugural Diversity Week.
Johnson School wins the Consortium’s TEAM trophy for the second time.
The Johnson School’s Diversity Council is founded to bring student leaders of various affinity groups into important conversations about administrative decisions and initiatives.
Johnson Allies for Women (JAWS) launches to engage male allies in productive, action-oriented conversations about gender equity through programming, social activities, and support for Women’s Management Council initiatives.
Women of Johnson Wednesdays launches to celebrate the school’s progress in advancing female leadership in business through guest speakers, lunch-and-learns, workshops, and social events.
2019
Dyson students participate in the 2022 BlackGen Capital Challenge.
Professor Todd Schmit named interim associate dean of diversity and inclusion for the SC Johnson College of Business.
Dyson Pride is founded.
Faculty Fellows for Inclusive Excellence is founded at the Dyson School.
BlackGen Capital, the first minority-owned student investment fund at Cornell University, is formed.
The Nolan School launches Dining with ODI.
The Dyson School offers the class The Business Case for Diversity (AEM 2015) for the first time. The course fulfills the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) diversity requirement.
The Johnson School’s ODI expands its reach to include and engage with Johnson Cornell Tech MBA students in New York City.
Access Johnson, a business club for self-identified neurodiverse and disabled students and their advocates, is founded to increase support for and awareness of disability and neurodiversity.
Johnson School wins the Consortium’s TEAM Trophy for the third time.
Business Students of Color Coalition wins Cornell University’s Student and Campus Life DEI Award.
Members of the Dyson Students of Color Coalition in 2019
2020
Associate Professor Michelle Duguid named associate dean of diversity, inclusion, and belonging for the SC Johnson College of Business.
The Johnson Diversity Symposium is renamed the Johnson Inclusion Summit with the intent of broadening the reach, impact, and alignment across all Johnson School programs, the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, and Cornell University.
Johnson School wins the Consortium’s TEAM Trophy for the fourth time.
2021
A Seat at the Table is founded at the Dyson School.
Johnson School wins the Consortium’s TEAM Trophy for the fifth time.
Nicole LaFave is named assistant director of diversity, inclusion, and belonging for the SC Johnson College of Business; Patty Gabriel is named program and office coordinator.
A new discussion series, Johnson Talks Race, launches; at these monthly meetings, students talk about race and anti-racism within the United States and around the world.
Johnson School wins its sixth TEAM Trophy from the Consortium.
2023
The Community Cafe Series is founded at the Dyson School.
Accelerator Scholars program for first-generation undergraduate students at the Dyson School and Nolan School launches.
Three Accelerator Scholars who spoke at the Henry Kravis reception in 2025
2024
Nolan Student Diversity Council is founded. Nolan School ODI also launches the Chat with a Professor program.
A Legacy of Belonging at Cornell University
Learn more about the university-wide inclusion history, from Ezra Cornell’s founding vision to reaffirming a commitment to Indigenous communities and nations in the region and beyond.
Our Foundation In and Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
We are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment that celebrates diverse perspectives and honors all identities. From meeting AACSB’s rigorous community standards to recognizing Indigenous communities and providing resources for every individual, we aim to foster belonging, empowerment, and respect for all members of our community.
The Cayuga Nation: Honoring Indigenous Communities
We recognize and honor the land on which we live, work, and learn. Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ (the Cayuga Nation). We encourage you to learn more about these lands and Cornell’s continual impact as it relates to Indigenous land dispossession.
An Open Door for All: Celebrating Every Identity
At the SC Johnson College Office of Diversity and Inclusion, we are dedicated to fostering an environment where every individual is welcomed, valued, and supported. Our events, activities, and initiatives are designed to serve and uplift the entire college community, ensuring that students from all backgrounds feel included and empowered
