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Dr. Clifton R. Wharton, Jr.

Dr. Clifton R. Wharton, a true inspiration for the SMART
Program, is best known and celebrated for his pioneering
work in philanthropy, foreign service and development,
business, and academia. As a man of ‘many firsts,’ he
attended Harvard University at the age of 16, went on to
study at the School of Advanced International Studies at
Johns Hopkins, and received a doctorate in Economics from
the University of Chicago.

In his professional and personal journey, Dr. Wharton has
modeled what we want to see in our Cornell students. His
academic achievements, complemented by his many years
of service - across public and private sectors and several
continents - are worth emulating. In academia, Dr. Wharton
has served as the Chairman and CEO of TIAA-CREF,
President of Michigan State University, and Chancellor of the State University of New York,
among others. Within the private sector, Dr. Wharton served as the Director of the New York
Stock Exchange, Chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation, and as an officer with the
Agricultural Development Council.

Having done a sabbatical at Cornell University many years ago, Dr. Wharton is an unwavering
pillar of the SMART program through the Dr. Clifton R. Wharton, Jr. Emerging Markets Award
and financial support. As the 2020-2021 SMART students commit to making the world a better
place by serving through business, may they keep in mind the importance of:

“...striving for excellence in every arena, being constantly

prepared to listen and learn, maintaining integrity, and always

trying to act humanely and compassionately.”

Source: Dr. Wharton’s Autobiography, Privilege and Prejudice, 2015, p. 534 (Wharton Books)

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