NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 17, 2024 / New York City, New York. November 16. 2024. The Honorable Dr. Clifton R. Wharton Jr. was a Black pioneer in four different fields: Foreign economic development, higher education, philanthropy and business. The first Black to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Dr. Wharton was Chairman and CEO of TIAA-- CREF, the nation's largest pension fund with asset over $390 billion. When elected president of Michigan State University (1970-78) he became the first Black to lead a major predominantly White university in the United States. Later, as Chancelor of the State University of New York (1978-87), he was the first Black to lead the nation's largest university system with 64 campuses. Early in his career, Dr. Wharton worked in Singapore and Malaysia (1958 - 64) representing a foundation headed by John D. Rockefeller 3^rd, later becoming chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation (1982 - 87). In 1993, Dr. Wharton became Deputy Secretary of State under President Clinton. Among his former corporate directorships are the Ford Motor Company, Time Warner, Equitable Life, Tenneco, Federated Department Stores, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), New York Stock Exchange, Harcourt General, and Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He earned a BA degree in history from Harvard, an MA from the School of Advance International Studies at John's Hopkins, a PhD in economics from the University of Chicago and has been awarded 62 honorary doctorates. Dr. Wharton is survived by his wife of 74 years, Dolores and son Bruce. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family has established the Dr. Clifton and Dolores Wharton Legacy Fund at Michigan State University. Gifts to this Legacy Fund will be invested in Wharton Center's Endowment Fund, providing lasting support for the Wharton Center for Performing Arts. https://givingto.msu.edu/gift/index.cfm?sid=19758