70 Years of Impact
With that vote, Pyle elevated the business department to the College of Business Administration on July 1, 1955.
In the decades since, the school has undergone an extraordinary transformation: It has added degrees, established centers, and welcomed a series of deans. What began as a student body of less than 1,000 has become one of the nation’s largest and most promising business schools. As captured in Arizona State College’s 1955 Sahuaro yearbook, the student body’s aspirations were clear: “On our friendly, democratic campus, students from every state in the union seek a source of power and happiness — the gold of knowledge for a richer, fuller life.” While that sentiment remains true today, the business school is now a global community, welcoming students from every U.S. state and 120 countries worldwide.
Arizona citizens passed Prop. 200 in 1958 to make Arizona State College, the state’s first higher education institution, a university. Four years later, the business school secured accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the most prestigious and longstanding accreditation available for business schools. At the time, ASU was one of only 110 accredited colleges of the nation’s 500 business schools, an achievement that recognized the school’s commitment to innovation, connection, and quality education.
Today, graduates join a network of 130,000 strong, while students have more than 60 ways to earn a business degree. With new, relevant offerings such as the bachelor’s degree in real estate and applied finance and the first master’s degree in artificial intelligence in business in the nation, the school prepares leaders to thrive in an evolving business landscape.
And W. P. Carey isn’t stopping there. The school’s impact extends beyond the classroom with research and services, including those offered through the Center for Services Leadership and the Seidman Research Institute, both of which have provided the local business community with business strategy guidance, consulting resources, and leadership insights for 40 years.
So happy 70th birthday to the W. P. Carey School of Business! It’s a milestone that invites us to honor the legacy of the small department that grew into the largest business school in the nation while looking to a future defined by continued impact, bold innovation, and an unwavering commitment to shaping the next generation of learners and leaders.