100 Years, 10 Decades,
4 Generations, 1 Individual;
Theodora Rutherford
In the beginning, though, there was just one woman.
Throughout the past century, thousands of talented Black students have attended Columbia Business School, shaping the history of the School and the broader business community with their influence and accomplishments.
Theodora Fonteneau Rutherford, a Louisiana-born summa cum laude graduate of Howard University, was Columbia Business School’s first Black graduate, earning a master’s degree in accounting in 1924. She was also one of the first Black individuals to graduate from any top business school in the United States. Read the article by Adrienne Sanders Kaye to capture the essence of her story below.
100/50: Video Library
100/50: Gala Celebration
The year long 100/50 Celebration culminated October 9, 2023 with a Gala Celebration at the Ziegfeld Ballroom. More than 300 alumni and friends attended this once-in-a-lifetime event of generations of black alumni. Over $500,000 was raised for the 4A scholarship to allow more students of color to attend Columbia Business School.
100/50: Embracing Our Legacy Trailer
The 100/50: Embracing Our Legacy campaign will honor and commemorate the tremendous impact and contributions of the School’s Black students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends over the past century.
One of Few: The Fight for Visibility
In this episode, we’ll EDUCATE our audience about the unique challenges black students at CBS endured but also how despite those difficulties, CBS set them up to be visible to the most influential companies in the world. They learned to lean into their uniqueness and developed the thick skin they needed to succeed in their not-so-diverse fields.
The First Spark: Planting A Seed for the Future
The interviewees in this series work in a diverse array of industries. For many of them, CBS was the first step in realizing their dreams. In this episode, they’ll HONOR the lessons, classes, mentorship and more at CBS that lit the spark in them to be the entrepreneur/leader they are today.
A Unique Family: The BBSA Community
In this episode, members of the BBSA will CELEBRATE the group’s support through their journey at CBS and their continued support in their current endeavors. It is all about family and community.
A Unique Family: The BBSA Community
At the BRITE ’23 conference, Danielle Lee ’04 (Warner Music Group) talks with Franz Cayo ’00 (Columbia Business School) about the new relationships developing between artists and fans and how technology and the increasing power of values-based connections with brands are impacting business models in the industry.
