Giving

A Tradition of Philanthropy

Investing in Leadership

Donor support advances the School's mission
Institutions are made great by the people who support them, and for more than a century alumni and friends have provided extraordinary support for HBS and its mission to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. On behalf of all who benefit from the School’s work, we are grateful to the donors who believe in and help shape this institution.

Philanthropy Highlights

These highlights illustrate the vital role of alumni support in the evolution of HBS. What began as a “delicate experiment” is now a thriving institution at the forefront of management education worldwide.

1908

Harvard's Graduate School of Business Administration is founded with support from members of the Boston and New York business communities.

1910

Four donors contribute $850 to start a loan fund intended to make the School accessible to those with limited means.

1918

A group of businessmen give 1.3 million square feet of marshland (viewed above from the top of Harvard Stadium) in the Allston neighborhood of Boston—the future site of the Graduate School of Business Administration—to Harvard University.

1924

George F. Baker donates $5 million to build a new campus for HBS. Later Baker, shown above with his son, George F. Baker Jr., contributes an additional $1 million to the School's endowment.

1930

The Two Hundred Fifty Associates program of Harvard Business School is established. Members agree to contribute $1,000 annually to support faculty research. This evolves into the current Corporate Associates through which companies are recognized for their support of HBS.

1949

John D. Rockefeller Jr. makes a $5 million grant to build Aldrich Hall, which features horseshoe-shaped classrooms—a revolutionary design at the time—that facilitate case-based learning.

1950

The Kresge family makes a $2 million gift to construct a dining center and campus facility—a significant step toward developing a truly residential campus.

1959

Friends and former students fund the Georges F. Doriot International Fellowship to “educate outstanding MBA candidates from other countries.”

1963

The Smith-Roberts Fellowship is created to support professional women who aspire to improve community relations. The first eight women graduate from HBS’s two-year MBA Program in 1965, setting the stage for future generations of female leaders.

1970s-80s

Increased support from alumni and friends enables HBS to complete its original campus plan, endow 34 professorships (including 10 funded by MBA class gifts), expand fellowship funding, and more.

1978

The George P. Baker Minority Fellowship is established to honor Dean Baker’s contributions to increasing African Americans’ access and admission to graduate business schools, and specifically to HBS, during the 1960s when the African-American Student Union was founded. The HBS African-American Alumni Association, led by Walter Ross (MBA 1973)—pictured presenting the Association’s Distinguished Service Award to Dean Baker—was instrumental in endowing the fellowship, aided by Dean John McArthur.

1987

John S.R. Shad (MBA 1949) endows the Business Leadership and Ethics program, which is now an integral part of the MBA Program.

1995

John C. Whitehead (MBA 1947) makes a founding gift to create the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative.

1997

HBS opens the California Research Center, its first research outpost. Like the many other regional research centers and offices established around the world in subsequent years, it benefits from the support of alumni and friends.

1990s

Alumni gifts help fund the introduction of new types of cases, teaching techniques, and classroom technologies—including the MBA Class of 1971’s reunion gifts for the enhancement of the technology within the Aldrich classrooms.

2000-2005

The Campaign for Harvard Business School provides critical support for financial aid, research, faculty development, technology, and campus renewal. Under the leadership of by C. D. Spangler Jr. (MBA 1956), the effort raises almost $600 million from alumni and friends.

2011-2018

The Harvard Business School Campaign, led by John Hess (MBA 1977) and a dedicated group of leadership volunteers, increased alumni engagement; improved the perception of HBS and business in the world; expanded collaboration between the School and the University in mutually beneficial ways; and built the case for flexible funding to support innovation. Review the final report highlighting the impact of the Campaign at HBS and beyond.
“Our residential campus is an integral aspect of the School’s unparalleled educational experience.”
Nitin Nohria (Dean 2011-2020)
“Our residential campus is an integral aspect of the School’s unparalleled educational experience.”
Nitin Nohria (Dean 2011-2020)

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