Former Michigan State University president Clifton Wharton Junior has died. He was 98 years old.
He was the first Black president of a major public university in the United States.
Clifton Wharton Junior was sometimes referred to as a “quiet pioneer” in a life that spanned many aspects of America, from academics and government service to business and philanthropy.
Appointed in 1969, Wharton served as MSU’s president from 1970 until 1978, where the Wharton Center for Performing Arts is named in his honor.
“Clifton Wharton Jr.’s profound influence on Michigan State University persists through vital programs launched on his watch,” said Michigan State University President Kevin Guskiewicz and the university’s Board of Trustees in a joint written statement.
Wharton later served as the chancellor of the State University of New York System and its 64 campuses, the first Black person to serve in that position.
In government, Wharton was appointed chairman of the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development for USAID by President Gerald Ford. He later served as Deputy Secretary of State under President Bill Clinton.
Wharton also served as chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation. When he took over the lead of the investment company TIAA-CREF, Clifton Wharton became the first Black person to lead a Fortune 500 company.
In a 2015 interview with PBS News Hour, Wharton reflected on the effect of racism on his life. He also spoke of his concerns about what he sees as an obstacle for many young Black Americans today.
“One of the things which disturbs me a great deal today is that we are, in fact, reducing the opportunities, for a variety of reasons, for young minorities to receive a great and good education, said Wharton, “ And I say that because I think the United States needs to recognize that the failure of providing education creates a loss in human capital for the country as a whole.”
