“Business at Berkeley” Provides Window Into Haas History

Business at Berkeley book coverThe rich history of Berkeley-Haas, from its founding as the second-oldest business school in the U.S. to its rise to one of the world’s leading producer of new ideas and knowledge, is captured in a new book, Business at Berkeley.
The school’s evolution, starting with the founding gift by Cora Jane Flood in 1898 and the debates over just what kind of business education was needed at Berkeley, is told in great detail in Business at Berkeley: The History of the Haas School of Business (Institute of Governmental Studies Press, 2016).
The book was written by Sandra Epstein, a former University of California administrator, researcher, and decades-long friend of the school.
In the words of the faculty, deans, and students who lived in those times, the book also covers many of the century’s political and cultural struggles and controversies: the 1949 faculty loyalty oath, the 1960s Free Speech Movement, and improving the role of women in business schools.
The historical account is anchored by Epstein’s personal connections to Berkeley-Haas. Her book includes dozens of interviews with key Berkeley-Haas deans, faculty, and administrators whose decisions, policies, collaborations, and leadership led the university to where it is today.
Meticulously researched, this book provides a detailed account of the rise of a top ranked business school through the tumultuous 20th century to today.
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