The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management (The Consortium) was founded in 1966 by late Washington University professor, Sterling H. Schoen. Professor Schoen believed there was a need for a program to assist African American males develop the business skills necessary to compete for entry-level positions in American business. To test his belief, he organized a feasibility conference that included 60 educators, business managers, and community-action leaders. The conference participants agreed that a cooperative university program to hasten the entry of minority people into management positions in business was both desirable and feasible.

Washington University, Indiana University and the University of Wisconsin were the first three schools to participate in this endeavor. In its first three years, The Consortium only provided fellowships to black males. The first class consisted of 21 black males and corporate sponsors numbered 27. After 1970, the scope was broadened to include women, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. In 1968 and 1969 the University of Rochester and the University of Southern California joined The Consortium respectively, followed by the University of North Carolina in 1973, the University of Michigan in 1987, New York University in 1984, the University of Texas-Austin in 1985, the University of Virginia in 1992, the University of California-Berkeley in 1993*, Dartmouth in 1999, Carnegie Mellon and Emory Universities in 2001and Yale University in 2008.

Since its inception, The Consortium has increased the number of annual fellowships awarded from 21 to over 350. These fellowships are funded by a variety of the top American businesses and the universities affiliated with The Consortium.

In 2004, The Consortium’s mission evolved to include U.S. citizens and permanent residents of all races and ethnicities who can demonstrate a commitment to The Consortium’s mission and can best assist The Consortium in pursuing this mission.

Celebrating our 42nd anniversary this year, we at The Consortium are extremely proud of our accomplishments to date, and we look forward to a strong future of the fulfillment of our mission. Of course, the ongoing support of our corporate sponsors, contributing alumni, students and volunteers makes it all possible. Therefore, we strongly encourage and are extremely grateful for your ongoing involvement.

 

*UC Berkeley was forced to withdraw from Consortium membership in 2003 due to the restrictive legislation in the state of California