To Educate Leaders Who Make a Difference in the World
HBS Launches Capital Campaign
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| Beverly and Rodney A. Hawes, Jr. (MBA '69) joined the celebration. |
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| Heidi M. Brooks and Mishka Pitter (both HBS '03) led tours of the campus for launch guests. |
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| Dean Kim B. Clark, President Lawrence H. Summers, and Campaign Chair C.D. Spangler, Jr. (MBA '56) wearing campaign medallions. Each delivered remarks at the kick-off dinner. |
Several hundred alumni, faculty, and guests came together on campus on September 21 to participate in the launch of the $500 million Campaign for Harvard Business School, creating one of the most memorable gatherings in the School's 94-year history. The launch of the School's first-ever capital campaign was marked by tradition, awareness of the vital role of business education in today's world, and deep appreciation and respect for the School's role in educating leaders for the future. “Harvard Business School is making an enormous contribution to the broader mission of the University, and we are a far better institution for it,” Harvard University President Lawrence H. Summers observed in his dinner speech. He then declared, “What HBS does in the next twenty years will be more important than what it has done in any twenty-year period in its history.”
The day's events, which began at breakfast and stretched late into the evening, included a series of panel discussions on some of the most pressing business issues of the day. Led by HBS faculty and informed by the insights and experiences of distinguished HBS alumni, the panels explored significant concerns facing 21st century business, including the impact of technological innovation on society, the complexities of globalization, and the challenges of leadership as corporate America tries to regain public confidence. A midday highlight was a luncheon address by world-renowned competitive strategy expert Professor Michael E. Porter, who shared his groundbreaking research on regional competitiveness (see sidebar).
A late afternoon reception on the lawn between Aldrich Hall and the new Spangler Center brought participants together before an evening program that began in Burden Auditorium with a multimedia celebration of the School. The inspirational presentation, narrated by HBS professor Nancy F. Koehn, featured a series of personal stories told by people whose lives have been changed and dramatically improved as a result of business initiatives created by members of the HBS community.
The program, which received thunderous applause, underscored the School's long-held mission of empowering its graduates to make a difference, a concept Dean Kim B. Clark returned to often during his dinner remarks at Shad Hall. Clark, who shared the podium with Harvard President Summers and Campaign Chair C.D. (“Dick”) Spangler, Jr. (MBA '56), reminded the gathering that the School was founded during “a time of great turmoil and uncertainty” in 1908, when institutions worldwide were changing rapidly. “It was a period not unlike our own,” he observed.
Clark noted that HBS's stewards in the School's early years believed it was important to create an institution that would “educate a generation of leaders who could take character and strong values into the business community and create organizations that would make the world a better place. That is still our goal.” The Dean then turned his focus to the future as he outlined the key themes that are driving the historic, $500 million capital campaign: increasing the School's global impact and outreach, deepening the learning experience through technology, increased financial aid for MBA students, support for faculty development, and renewing the residential community at HBS.
“We stand today at an inflection point in the School's history,” Clark told the gathering near the end of the evening. “It's an extraordinary time in the world. There are forces at work in society that are creating tremendous opportunities for us, but also tremendous challenges. We need to seize the moment if we are to preserve and enhance our ability to pursue our mission with excellence. That is our challenge.”
