Reflect on the history of the Culverhouse College of Business as you scroll through the timeline
1919
Undergraduate Program Launched
1919
Lee Bidgood, the first dean of the College, launched the undergraduate program in 1919. The first programs launched were specializations in accounting, banking and finance,…
Read moreBidgood Becomes First Dean
1919
In 1919, Lee Bidgood became the first dean of the College of Commerce and Business Administration.. Dean Bidgood served the boards of directors for many…
Read more1920s
Commerce Club Established
1922
The Commerce Club was established in the fall of 1922 by students and professor H.H. Chapman. The Commerce Club “sought to advance the purposes of…
Read moreBeta Gamma Sigma Chapter Established
1923
To encourage interest in higher scholarship and college activities among commerce students, the Sigma Eta chapter of the Beta Gamma Sigma fraternity was established. The…
Read moreGraduate Program Launched
1924
In 1924, the College of Commerce & Business Administration organized the first graduate programs
Read moreMaster of Science in Commerce Awarded
1924
The first Master degree was awarded in 1924 as the Master of Science in Commerce.
Read moreAlpha Kappa Psi Chapter Established
1924
The Alpha Rho chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi was introduced to the University in 1924. The fraternity was originally created in 1904 at New York…
Read moreDelta Sigma Pi Chapter Established
1926
Delta Sigma Pi originated at the New York School of Commerce in 1907. A local chapter had been active on the University campus for some…
Read moreCommerce Building Opens
1928
In the fall of 1928, construction was completed for the Commerce Building, the Commerce School’s first building, and opened for the fall semester. The Commerce…
Read moreFirst Accreditation
1929
In 1929 the School of Commerce and Business Administration become the 38th school to earn admission into the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
Read morePhi Chi Theta (Chi Theta) Chapter Established
1929
Chi Theta was a professional fraternity for women organized in the Commerce School in 1929. In 1936 the local chapter affiliated with Phi Chi Theta,…
Read more1930s
Bureau of Business Research Established
1930
In November of 1930, Lee Bidgood and professor H.H. Chapman created the Bureau of Business Research as what Chapman described as “a vision of a…
Read more1st Real Estate Graduate
1930
Secretarial Work Added as a Major
1936
Statistics Added as a Major
1937
Commerce Building Addition
1939
As enrollment increased, the need for more space became immediate and Dean Bidgood decided an expansion of the Commerce building was necessary. In September of…
Read more1940s
Military Training Program Administered
1941
To aid in Wartime efforts, Dean Bidgood, a member of the University’s National Defense Council Program, the Commerce School played an important role in training…
Read moreMBA Program Launched
1944
Following World War II, there was an influx of GIs into the school. Dean Bidgood sought to expand the school’s graduate programs. Launched in 1944,…
Read moreBeta Alpha Psi Chapter Founded
1948
The National Accounting fraternity established a chapter at the Commerce School in 1948 with the goal “to encourage and foster the ideal of service as…
Read moreFirst Annual Spring Frolics
1949
On May 14, 1949, Mr. A. E. Hohenberg of Memphis gave the principal address at the first annual Commerce Spring Frolics, and awards from various…
Read more1950s
Propeller Club
1950
In the spring of 1950, a chapter of the Propeller Club was formed for students who were interested in the maritime transportation industry. It was…
Read morePh.D. Program Launched
1950
President Gallalee took advantage of the contingent gathered at the dedication of Bidgood Hall to announce the Commerce School would be launching a Ph.D. program for…
Read moreChi Alpha Phi Created
1951
In the spring of 1951, a group of business statistics students created Chi Alpha Phi, an organization for students interested in the application of statistical…
Read moreBidgood Hall Expansion
1951
Along with the dedication of Bidgood Hall, President John Gallalee announced an expansion to the building. This would add 36,032 square feet of new space…
Read moreCommerce Building Renamed
1952
On Commerce Day and the 32nd Anniversary of the School of Commerce, February 15th, 1952, the Commerce Building was renamed Bidgood Hall after esteemed Dean…
Read moreAlabama Business Research Council Founded
1953
Founded by Lee Bidgood in the early 1950s, the Alabama Business Research Council developed effective ways in which a work and research team can bring…
Read moreCatherine Miles Receives First PH.D.
1953
Catherine Miles was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in accounting at the University of Alabama. She first enrolled at the University in 1936…
Read moreGarner Named Second Dean
1954
After being hand-picked by Dean Bidgood to teach accounting, Paul Garner turned down the numerous offers from other universities to teach at the School of…
Read more1960s
Marketing Added as a Major
1960
Vivian Malone’s Enrollment
1963
Vivian Malone, alongside James Hood, enrolled at The University of Alabama in 1963 becoming one of the first black students. Two years later she graduated…
Read moreC&BA Becomes a College
1969
1970s
Lena Prewitt Joins Faculty
1970
Dr. Lena Prewitt joined the college in 1970 as one of the first black faculty members. Dr. Prewitt taught management had a lasting impact on…
Read moreFielden Named Third Dean
1971
Jack Fielden was named the third dean of the Commerce and Business Administration
Read moreManpower Institute Introduced
1972
The Manpower Institute was instituted in 1972 in the early days of Jack Fielden’s deanship. It was ran by Chuck Odewahn and Allan Spritzer who…
Read moreMaster of Tax Accounting Degree Introduced
1977
Dean John Fielden introduced the Master of Tax Accounting (MTA) degree to the College of Commerce and Business Administration in 1977, adding to an impressive…
Read moreSchool of Accountancy Established
1978
In July of 1978, the School of Accountancy was established as an academic unit of the College of Commerce and Business Administration. Later, the school…
Read more1980s
Edward Smith Named (Fourth) Interim Dean
1980
Serving as an interim dean while the search committee looked for a replacement for Jack Fielden, Edward Smith led the college into the 1980s.
Read moreMitchell Becomes Fifth Dean
1981
H.H. “Bill” Mitchell accepted a five-year appointment as dean after the untiimely death of Dr. Kenneth Uhl, the search committee’s choice for dean in 1980. Mitchell…
Read moreFive-year Master of Accountancy Introduced
1984
Executive MBA offered at UA
1985
Peterson Named Sixth Dean
1986
Russ Petersen helped the college maintain its high standard through his understanding of what the national standards were. His policies were favored by many, especially…
Read moreManderson Graduate School of Business Named
1987
In 1987, the Culverhouse College of Commerce renamed their graduate division to The Manderson Graduate School of Business in recognition of Lewis Manderson’s generous $1…
Read moreMason Named Seventh Dean
1988
Dean Barry Mason became the College of Commerce and Business Administration’s seventh dean in 1988 and served as dean for 23 years. His term is…
Read moreThe S. Paul Garner Center for Current Accounting Issues
1988
The Culverhouse School of Accountancy established the S. Paul Garner Center for Current Accounting Issues in 1988. It was used in fostering and enhancing accounting…
Read moreSchool of Accountancy Named After Culverhouse
1989
In February of 1989, Commerce School alumnus Hugh F. Culverhouse donated $3 million to the School of Accountancy and later recieved naming rights of the…
Read more1990s
Bashinsky Computer Lab and Bruno Library Donation
1994
Dreams of a new business library and computer center for the business college finally became a reality in 1994 with the generous donation of $4…
Read moreAlabama Center for Real Estate Founded
1996
2010s
Hardin Named Eighth Dean
2011
STEM Path to the MBA Introduced
2011
The STEM Path to the MBA was introduced to the University to allow high-achieving undergraduate students majoring in STEM disciplines to complete coursework to earn…
Read moreMarillyn A. Hewson Data Analytics Lab
2015
The Marillyn A. Hewson Data Analytics opened in 2015 with Lockheed Martin, Healthcare Business Solutions and SAS as partners. The Lab provides collaboration among students,…
Read morePalan Named Ninth Dean
2016
2016 marked the year the college hired its first female dean, Kay Palan.
Read moreCREATE Path to the MBA Introduced
2016
Launched in Fall 2016, the CREATE Path to the MBA was created for high-achieving undergraduate students majoring in traditionally creative disciplines, giving them the opportunity…
Read moreVulcan Value Research Library
2016
The college is the first to offer a Value Investing specialization at both the graduate and undergraduate level and opened a Value Investing Research Library…
Read moreHewson Hall Announced
2018
On September 28th, 2018, Dean Kay Palan announced the newest addition to the Culverhouse campus, Hewson Hall. The building was named after distinguished alum Marillyn…
Read moreNew Name for the Business School
2018
In early 2018, the business college at The University of Alabama announced that it was implementing its new name: Culverhouse College of Business. This name…
Read more