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Looking back, looking ahead
A Message from Dean Patrick Harker
In 1881, American entrepreneur and industrialist Joseph
Wharton had the most radical idea in the history
of business.
He proposed the establishment of the
world's first collegiate school of business
at the University of Pennsylvania. Joseph
Wharton offered the vision of future generations
of business leaders—trained through
the scientific study of business—unleashing
the power of their knowledge to advance
society through economic development.
As we celebrate this major moment in the
Wharton School's history, it's important to reflect
on the impact of that radical idea. We're not
only celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Wharton
School. We're also celebrating the birth of business education,
a global industry that produces more than 300,000 highly
skilled managers every year and the knowledge that drives
business growth. And it all started right here.
No other single idea—and no single institution—has
had such a dramatic, transformational effect on the way business
is conducted in the global market.
But the 125th anniversary of the Wharton School is not only
a time to celebrate our unique heritage as the origin of business
education. It's a time to celebrate our continued leadership to this
very day in setting the standard for excellence that makes the
School, our programs and our graduates still the most influential
drivers of business growth and economic development—and an
opportunity to tell that story to the world.
Our success rests squarely on the shoulders of the creative
design Joseph Wharton outlined in his proposal to the
Trustees in 1881. His vision for the School centered on three
foundational values that continue to guide us today: first, an
unfailing commitment to innovation; second, the application
of broad expertise and outreach to the largest audience; and
third, the need for a deep engagement with business practice.
Commitment to Innovation
Joseph Wharton did not create this institution simply as a
distribution channel of accepted business knowledge of his
day. From its start, knowledge creation was the basic foundational
commitment of the Wharton School. He chose to
base his school as part of a university—and not simply as an
independent vocational academy—to ensure that serious,
scientific scholarship in business issues would form the basis
of instruction. He realized that business would advance most
quickly and effectively in an environment where ideas are created,
debated, refined, and retooled.
Wharton's innovative environment and its world-class
faculty continue to generate the knowledge and ideas that are
the building blocks of global business practice in virtually every
industry. We are always expanding not only the knowledge
that advances business, but also the ways that knowledge is
best communicated and implemented in practice.
Broad Expertise and Outreach
Joseph Wharton understood that business
growth is driven by individuals with a broad
range of knowledge across disciplines, as well
as specialized skills. He believed sustained
economic growth required a constant flow of
information, skills and talent throughout every
level of operations in individual companies,
industries and policy-making bodies. He also
recognized that business education must not be
limited to the privileged classes; borrowing the mass
production model from his business experience, he encouraged
expansive outreach to large numbers of students and
business leaders.
Wharton offers academic programs across the entire spectrum
of business education—for everyone from high school
students, undergraduates, MBA students, and doctoral candidates,
to senior executives. The expertise of our faculty creates
opportunities to gain in-depth knowledge on virtually every
major challenge facing global business today. As part of the
University of Pennsylvania, we also share vast resources in
business law, ethics, public policy, technology and the life sciences—more than any other business school.
Engagement with Business
As a partnership between a leading industrialist and a university,
the Wharton School was founded with the core belief
that serious scholarship of business issues must be based
firmly in the practical experience of those who deal with the
challenges of the competitive, rapidly changing business environment.
This ensured that the knowledge created and shared
is not only relevant, but could be immediately used to drive
change and achievement.
Wharton's impact in the classroom and the world is fueled
by our long-term relationships with leading companies and
global policy-makers. Every year, we work with more than
1,000 companies, including more than two-thirds of the
Fortune 500 and leading global firms, as well as government
agencies around the world. This engagement in research, academic
programming and curricular design enables Wharton
to bridge the gap between theory and practice. It makes
Wharton a unique environment where new knowledge grows
in a real-world, real-time context.
Throughout the next 18 months, we will celebrate the
many achievements and strengths of the Wharton School,
our faculty and our graduates. Join us in Philadelphia for the
celebration, or at any Wharton 125 events planned around
the world.
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