The Statler Auditorium at Cornell University buzzed with anticipation on January 31st as it hosted a special event. The occasion? A heartfelt celebration of a transformative $150 million gift from H. Fisk Johnson and SC Johnson, the family company, to establish the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. This monumental donation, the largest ever to Cornell’s Ithaca campus, not only marks a new chapter for business education at the university but also underscores the profound legacy of the Johnson family’s deep-rooted connection with Cornell.
Fisk Johnson, CEO of SC Johnson, is welcomed to the Statler Auditorium stage by President Emeritus Frank H.T. Rhodes, Interim President Hunter Rawlings, and Dean Soumitra Dutta of Cornell SC Johnson College of Business during the gift announcement event.
Interim President Hunter Rawlings eloquently captured the significance of the moment, declaring, “It is a new day for the study of business at this university – the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business will be a powerhouse in business education.” He emphasized that this “momentous event” was made possible by the extraordinary generosity of Fisk Johnson and his family, hailing them as “one of the very great families of Cornell.” The packed auditorium, filled to capacity with enthusiastic supporters and live-stream viewers, resonated with his sentiment, recognizing the profound impact of this Gift Of Legacy.
A Historic Gift: Empowering Cornell’s Business Education
The establishment of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business represents a bold step forward, uniting three distinguished schools – the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, the School of Hotel Administration, and the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management – under one umbrella. This consolidation, made possible by the Johnson family’s gift, is designed to foster unprecedented synergy and create a world-leading institution for business studies.
Rawlings highlighted the strategic nature of the donation, drawing parallels to the philanthropic approach of Charles Feeney ’56. A significant portion, $50 million, is structured as a challenge match, operating on a 1:3 basis. This innovative approach is designed to amplify the gift’s impact, potentially reaching a staggering $300 million as it encourages further donations and new endowments from other benefactors. President Rawlings noted the early positive response, with alumni like John Dyson, of the Dyson School naming family, already expressing keen interest in contributing.
The remaining $100 million of the Johnson gift forms a crucial endowment. This permanent fund will provide vital, ongoing resources for faculty, students, and cutting-edge programs within the newly formed college, ensuring its long-term excellence and sustainability. This endowment is a cornerstone of the gift of legacy, designed to benefit generations of Cornell business students to come.
Fisk Johnson addresses the audience at Statler Auditorium, detailing his family’s long history with Cornell University and the motivations behind their significant donation.
A Legacy of Giving: Generations of Johnson Family at Cornell
Fisk Johnson ’79, M.Eng. ’80, M.S. ’82, MBA ’84, Ph.D. ’86, speaking at the event, shared his personal connection to Cornell and the motivations behind this significant gift. He emphasized the opportune timing, coinciding with the business college’s formation and the upcoming opening of the Cornell Tech campus in New York City. “I really believed that the business program here had a huge opportunity in front of it, and that there couldn’t be a better time to make this gift to get this new vision for Cornell business and the three schools off to a really strong start,” Johnson stated. He described it as a “wonderful opportunity to do something at Cornell,” a place deeply intertwined with his family’s history and legacy.
Expanding on this legacy, Johnson recounted a fascinating anecdote about his grandfather, Herbert F. Johnson Jr. ’22. The family business, then focused on wax products, ventured into antifreeze for Ford Model Ts. However, the antifreeze contained salt, causing radiator corrosion. This mishap led to his grandfather being “hurried off to Cornell to get a chemistry degree,” becoming the company’s first chemist. This story illustrates the long-standing relationship between the Johnson family and Cornell, a relationship rooted in problem-solving and innovation.
Johnson also spoke of his own transformative experience at Cornell, including his involvement with the Chi Psi fraternity. “Life-changing,” he described his time at the university. This profound personal impact fueled his desire to contribute back to the institution that had given him so much, solidifying the gift as a personal expression of gratitude and a continuation of his family’s legacy of giving.
Interim President Hunter Rawlings and Fisk Johnson shake hands, symbolizing the partnership between Cornell University and the Johnson family in advancing business education.
Impact and Vision: Shaping the Future of Business Leadership
Dean Soumitra Dutta of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business underscored the transformative nature of such a substantial naming gift. “In higher education, significant naming gifts – especially ones of this magnitude … are game-changers,” Dean Dutta asserted. He highlighted the immense confidence this gift instills, both within the Cornell community and externally, emphasizing that “the power of this confidence – the message it sends to those within and outside of our campus – cannot be underestimated.”
Dean Dutta outlined how the gift would facilitate greater synergy between the college’s three schools. He envisioned Cornell becoming a global leader in the business of food, leveraging the combined expertise of the Dyson School and the Hotel School. He also pointed to the Johnson-Cornell Tech MBA program, a three-year-old initiative, as a prime example of creating “business leaders with deep knowledge of technology,” harnessing the power of the digital revolution in the business world. The Johnson family’s gift of legacy is thus strategically invested in fostering innovation and preparing future leaders for a rapidly evolving global landscape.
President Emeritus Frank H.T. Rhodes further illuminated the Johnson family’s enduring relationship with Cornell, drawing upon his four decades of friendship with various Johnson family members, including Sam Johnson ’50, Imogene Powers Johnson ’52, Curt Johnson ’77, Helen Johnson-Leipold ’78, and Winnie Johnson Marquart ’81. He recalled the 1984 decision by the Cornell Board of Trustees to name the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, a recognition not only of gratitude but also of the “commitment to humane management and uncompromising quality that the Johnson name came to signify in the business world.”
Quoting Cornell historian Morris Bishop, President Emeritus Rhodes concluded with a powerful metaphor: “Giant towers rest on a foundation of visionary purpose.” He extended heartfelt thanks to Fisk Johnson, his family, and SC Johnson, for providing “a foundation of visionary purpose through your generosity and your commitment to the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.” This gift of legacy, rooted in family history and a profound belief in Cornell’s mission, promises to elevate business education and shape future generations of leaders.
The Big Red Band leads the audience in a spirited rendition of the Cornell alma mater, concluding the celebratory event at Statler Auditorium.
Fisk Johnson, Interim President Hunter Rawlings, President Emeritus Frank H.T. Rhodes, and Dean Soumitra Dutta participate in a press conference following the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business celebration.
Fisk Johnson interacts with attendees and captures a selfie during the reception at Statler’s Park Atrium, further cementing the personal and engaging nature of the event.
