Timeline
The Early Years
1923: A Business Administration program is established at Rhode Island State College by President Howard Edwards, who hired Charles Lloyd Sweeting as Professor of Business Administration to carry out the program.
1926: The first business student, Alexander Paterson, graduates.
1927: The new Dean, Dr. Andrew J. Newman, institutes a programmatic shift from business administration to economics.
1928: The first woman, Elsa Gramelsbach, graduates.
1931: Rhode Island State College is reorganized into three schools: the School of Engineering, the School of Science and Business Administration, and the School of Agriculture and Home Economics.
1934: An accounting major is added. Students can now major in accounting or business administration.
1942: The School of Science and Business is reorganized into separate schools: the School of Science and the School of Business Administration.
1943: Three new majors are added: Industrial Management, Marketing and Advertising, and Secretarial Science.
The Ballentine Years
1945: Graduate courses in business and economics are established, leading to the Master of Science degree.
1947: Departments are created in accounting, business law, industrial management, marketing, and economics.
1951: The School of Business Administration becomes the College of Business Administration & Rhode Island State College becomes the University of Rhode Island.
1960: The M.B.A. degree is introduced at the Extension in Providence and is expanded to the Kingston Campus in 1965.
1967: Ballentine Hall (named in honor of former dean, George Andrew Ballentine) opens to house the College of Business Administration.
The Take-off Years
1969: The College receives accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
1973: The M.B.A. and M.S. are accredited.
1975: A Business Advisory Council is formed.
1976: In cooperation with the Department of Textiles and Clothing, a new major in Marketing and Textiles is developed.
1978: An Executive-in-Residence Program is initiated at the College.
1984: The Executive M.B.A. program launches.
1989: The Pacific-Basin Capital Markets Research Center is established in the College of Business Administration as is the Research Institute for Telecommunications and Information Marketing.
1990: The Ph.D. program is established with a grant from Senator Claiborne Pell.
1991: Career Day launches.
The Transformative Years
1992: The Business Student Advisory Council is formed and College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council is created.
1995: The first Ph.D. student, Nancy L. McIntyre, graduates.
1996: Public fundraising for the Ballentine Hall renovation project is secured through two higher education bond referenda.
1997: The College begins the Evening M.B.A. program in Providence as well as a 22-month Executive M.B.A. program.
1998: The College celebrates its 75th Anniversary, and the Verrecchia-Hasbro Leadership Chair in Business is created from a $1 million donation.
2001: The Ram Fund is established with $100,000 of capital from the URI Alumni Association.
2003: Ballentine Hall is renovated and expanded to better serve the College of Business Administration.
2004: The College creates a Business track within the Honors Program.
2006: The College is named a Chartered Financial Analysis Program Partner by the CFA Institute—one of only 13 universities with this partnership.
2007: The International Business Program is developed. Operations Management is reorganized to become Supply Chain Management.
2009: URI Faculty Senate approves a “Blue M.B.A.” program between the College and the Graduate School of Oceanography.
2013: The Green Business double degree program is launched.
2018: TEDxURI is launched under the leadership of the College of Business. The College changes its name from the the College of Business Administration to the College of Business, and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship major, minor, and certificate are first offered to students.
2019: The College receives its single largest gift: a $15 million gift from Alfred J. Verrecchia ’67, M.B.A. ’72, Hon. ’04 and Geraldine Verrecchia.
2020: The College launches an Executive Doctorate of Business Administration and the College’s first two online masters degree programs – Supply Chain Management and Healthcare Management.