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Milton Wilson Dies, Founded 2 Business Schools at HBCUs

By Melanie R. Holmes
Black College Wire

Dr. Milton Wilson, founder of both Howard University's and Texas Southern University's schools of business, died Sept. 2 in his hometown of Houston. He was 88.

Dr. Milton Wilson

Howard University said it did not know the cause of death of the man that its current business dean, Barron H. Harvey, described as a "widely respected professional."

"The school of business exists largely because of his leadership and vision," Harvey said. "He will be remembered as a very strong advocate for Howard University and management education as well as for establishing a first-rate business school. He will mostly be remembered because of his passion for excellence and commitment to young people excelling and achieving goals and objectives."

Wilson was born July 20, 1915, in Paducah, Ky. "His father was a Pullman car porter, and his mother and grandmother, Elizabeth Day, were public school teachers," according to the Houston Chronicle.

"After graduating from Lincoln High School in Paducah, Wilson earned a bachelor's degree from West Virginia State College. He later received a master's degree and two doctorates from Indiana University at Bloomington," the newspaper said.

"Wilson's first job was as head of the accounting department at Hampton Institute in Virginia, followed by the same job at Dillard University in New Orleans.

In 1949, he came to Texas Southern University in Houston to start a business program, where he established and headed the department of business, which became the school of business, the newspaper said.

"During his time at TSU, Wilson also was a visiting professor at the University of Chicago and Harvard University. In 1952, he became a certified public accountant, one of the first blacks in Texas to do so.

He left TSU in 1970 to teach at his alma mater, Indiana University at Bloomington, but was there for only a year when he was invited by Howard University President James Cheek to establish a school of business there. "In 1990, he retired from Howard and in 1993 he returned to live in Houston," according to the newspaper.

Harvey recalled that when Wilson arrived at Howard, "the university had a department of business located on Sherman Avenue, but Dr. Wilson converted it into a School of Business and Public Administration."

Public administration is no longer a part of the business school; Wilson moved it to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences," Harvey said. "He felt it would be more beneficial there."

According to Harvey, Wilson represented a number of firsts. "He was one of the first blacks to earn a Ph.D in accounting and CPA certification," he said. "You have to pass a very difficult exam (to become a CPA). It was a monumental achievement."

Howard's business school began with around eight or nine faculty members and about 200 students, and grew to almost 80 full-time faculty members, with about 1, 800 students under his leadership. Harvey said. The School of Business is now the second largest on Howard's campus.

Dr. Wilson was named dean emeritus upon his retirement in 1990. A memorial service is being planned on Howard's campus.

Melanie R. Holmes is a student at Howard University who writes for The Hilltop.

Posted Sept. 8, 2003