In late November, a distinguished group of HBS alumni, faculty, and friends gathered on campus at a celebratory dinner to pay tribute to the legacy of the late H. Naylor Fitzhugh (MBA '33). A leader of industry and a pioneer in business education, Fitzhugh was one of the School's first African-American graduates. The H. Naylor Fitzhugh Professorship of Business Administration, the first chair at the School to be named for an African American, was recently established in his honor with gifts from more than three hundred individuals and companies.

Dean Kim B. Clark said that the new professorship is both a tribute to Fitzhugh's career and a means for HBS to build upon his efforts by attracting and retaining faculty whose research focuses on issues of diversity. "Naylor Fitzhugh was a pioneer in his professional life," Clark noted, "and his commitment to his community and to mentoring others makes him an inspiring example to all."

Professor David A. Thomas, the chair's first incumbent, was among those attending the event. A noted authority on mentoring, executive development, and managing a diverse workforce, Thomas speaks movingly of the importance of

Fitzhugh's contribution to the advancement of African Americans in the business world. "Being the first Fitzhugh professor is a particular honor," Thomas noted during a recent interview. "He spent much of his life trying to facilitate the creation of a more diverse and more integrated business world. When he attended Harvard College, it was at a time when African Americans were not even allowed to live on campus. When he graduated from HBS, no one would offer him a job. Yet throughout his life, his unwavering optimistic spirit brought him great success and placed him in a position to nurture many others who wanted to follow in his footsteps. His life exemplified the finest qualities of leadership." Fitzhugh came to HBS after graduating with honors from Harvard College, where he was one of four African Americans in a class of one thousand. He excelled in his studies at the School but was shunned by recruiters who actively pursued his white classmates. His first job after graduation was as an independent salesman in his native Washington, D.C., working for several firms serving the black community.

In Washington, Fitzhugh helped to establish the New Negro Alliance, which worked to change the policies of major companies that did business in black neighborhoods but refused to employ their residents. His involvement with the Alliance not only began his ongoing community activism but also served as his entree into academia, when a fellow volunteer offered him the opportunity to teach a business course at Howard University in 1934.

Fitzhugh became engrossed in his experience at Howard, which stretched into the next three decades and left an indelible mark on the school and its business curriculum. He worked diligently to build Howard's business program. Among other accomplishments, he instituted a marketing department, served as an advisor to a number of business and marketing clubs, and organized the school's Small Business Center.

In 1965, Fitzhugh left Howard to accept a position at Pepsi-Cola, where he developed the first marketing effort targeted to African Americans. He made history in this position by establishing the black community as a lucrative mass market and by developing the concept of targeted marketing in corporate America.

Known throughout his life as a gifted mentor, Fitzhugh continued his practice of helping others during his years at Pepsi. Working with the Distributive Educational Clubs of America, he developed the award-winning "Learn and Earn" program, which introduces high-school students to business through hands-on economic education. As an HBS alumnus, he was the founding chairman of the Harvard Business School African-American Alumni Association and encouraged many black students to attend the School.

Fitzhugh retired from Pepsi in 1974 but remained active with the company and within the community for many years. He was recognized for his achievements with numerous awards, including honorary doctoral degrees from Howard University and Virginia State University; the HBS Distinguished Service Award in 1987; and in 1990, the Executive Leadership Council Heritage Award for lifelong contributions to African-American Business Advancement. Fitzhugh died in 1992 at the age of 82.

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