Cornell School of Hotel Administration Celebrates 85th Anniversary
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Dean Emeritus Robert Beck '42, Ph.D. '54, shares a laugh with Lee Pillsbury '69, the master of ceremonies, during the school's 85th anniversary celebration at the Union League Club in New York City, Sept. 24. |
More than 200 alumni of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration gathered on Monday, September 24 at the Union League Club in New York City to celebrate the school's 85th anniversary. The school's five living deans attended the event, along with Cornell President David J. Skorton and several school faculty members and leaders.
Making a toast to the school's rich history and tradition, current Dean and E. M. Statler Professor Michael Johnson invoked the words of Sir Isaac Newton, "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."
Founded in 1922 under Dean Howard Bagnall Meek, the Cornell School of Hotel Administration was the first to offer an undergraduate hospitality management degree. Meek successfully challenged the prevailing view among hoteliers that the only way to learn the business was to work in the business. He went on to lead the school for 39 years, building a program that emphasized experiential learning, extra-curricular programs, industry research and social networking.
To read more, see news release and Cornell coverage.