In 1924, the School of Business Administration was a newcomer to an established University of Michigan. But it wasn't long before the alumni of what is now Michigan Ross distinguished themselves in the face of some of humanity's biggest changes and challenges. 

As the University of Michigan celebrates its 200th birthday, these alumni reflect on the decades that helped define them.

Dividend Spring 2017

1920s: Breaking New Ground in a New School

In 1971, Dividend asked two members of the very first MBA class at the School of Business Administration, Merwin H. Waterman and D. Maynard Phelps, MBAs ’26, to write up some reminiscences from their student days.
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Dividend Spring 2017

1930s: Rising Above Challenges of Race and the Great Depression

Harold Bailer, MBA ’96 , had a historic tenure at Michigan Ross. He began his MBA journey in 1936 as one of two African-American students.
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Dividend Spring 2017

1940s: Moving From Wartime to Postwar Success

Norman Auerbach, AB ’41/MBA ’47, came to U-M during the Depression with just $25.
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Dividend Spring 2017

1950s: Leading the Way for Women in Business

In the 1950s, when Diane Lindwall, BBA ’56, first stepped into the Michigan Business School, her immediate reaction was one of shock and surprise.
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Dividend Spring 2017

1960s: Learning in an Era of Upheaval

For many people, the 1960s were turbulent times. Eric Flamholtz, PhD ’69, remembers that time vividly.
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Dividend Spring 2017

1970s: Changing Times and New Directions

In today’s B-schools, women constitute 4o to 50 percent of the classroom. For Barbara J. Mahone, MBA ’72, it was vastly different.
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Dividend Spring 2017

1980s: Experiencing Two Sides of Business

When Maggie Bayless, MBA ’84, began her business education at Ross, her life was a study in contrasts.
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Dividend Spring 2017

1990s: Bouncing Back from a Crisis

Kevin Greiner and Robyn Roberts, MBA/MS ’98, had an up-close view of one of the biggest corporate scandals in history.
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Dividend Spring 2017

2000s: The Art and Science of Serving Society

Jerry White, MBA ’05, already had a lifetime’s worth of accomplishments before he joined the Ross Executive MBA Program.
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Dividend Spring 2017

2010s: Nonstop Hustle, On the Court and At the Startup

On the basketball court, Zack Novak, BBA ’12, seemed to be everywhere. He’s brought that same intensity to Uptake.
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Dividend Spring 2017

A Legacy of Innovations

Since its founding, the business school at the University of Michigan has been a source of game-changing ideas. These are the stories of a few notable alumni and faculty members who thought big and acted boldly.
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