When I was appointed dean of the business school here at Tulane University, I thought it would be helpful to enhance my knowledge of the history of business education. My research led me to a biography of Joseph Wharton, the prominent Philadelphia industrialist and philanthropist who in 1881 donated 100,000 USD to the University of Pennsylvania to establish the world's first collegiate school of business. While many people are aware of Mr. Wharton's role in the founding of the school that bears his name, few I suspect realize that Mr. Wharton's primary intention was not to educate students so that they could enrich themselves. Rather, Mr. Wharton's goal was to create a school that would produce "pillars of the state," knowledgeable individuals capable of meaningfully addressing—and solving—society's problems.#Article-News/Media #Deans Corner #Sustainability