My friend and colleague, Dr. Clifton R. Wharton Jr. has passed away at the age of 98.
Dr. Wharton was more than a trailblazer—he was an inspiration, a mentor, and a living example of what it means to break barriers with grace and determination. It’s hard to sum up a life as extraordinary as his, but to know him was to witness history being made.
He was the first Black CEO of a Fortune 500 company, leading TIAA-CREF with vision and integrity, managing assets that grew to over $390 billion. He also shattered ceilings in academia, becoming the first Black president of a major predominantly white university at Michigan State and later the first Black leader of the SUNY system, the nation’s largest university network. For him, those titles were not just milestones—they were opportunities to pave the way for others.
Dr. Wharton’s career took him from Southeast Asia, where he worked to advance economic development, to the Rockefeller Foundation, where he became chairman. And when President Clinton appointed him Deputy Secretary of State, he brought the same commitment to service that defined his life. He also lent his wisdom to some of the most iconic companies and institutions, serving on boards from Ford to PBS to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
But as impressive as his résumé was, it doesn’t capture the warmth, humility, and kindness he showed to everyone he met. He never let his achievements distance him from others; instead, he used them to inspire and uplift. He was deeply committed to education, not just as a professional pursuit, but as a means to empower people and communities.
Dr. Wharton was a lifelong learner himself, earning degrees from Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Chicago, and receiving 62 honorary doctorates. Yet his proudest accomplishments were personal—his enduring 74-year marriage to his beloved wife, Dolores, and the family they built together with their son, Bruce.
Most recently, we worked together on his memoir, where I tried to fill in a few tiny details about his time at MSU with the focus on accuracy that was Dr. Wharton’s passion.
To me, he will always be remembered as a man who not only opened doors but held them open for countless others. His legacy will continue to inspire for generations to come.
