Five Berkeley-Haas professors and alumni dating back to the beginning of the 20th century were featured in the Journal of Accountancy's list of the 125 top leaders in the accounting profession, published in its June 2012 issue.
Professors Henry Rand Hatfield, Maurice Moonitz, Robert Sprouse, and William Vatter joined alumnus Michael Chetkovich on the list of 125 leaders who left a mark on the accounting profession.
"This is a fine reminder of the tradition of excellence in accounting here at Berkeley-Haas," says Dean Rich Lyons. "We are very proud of the hallowed lineage of our accounting faculty."
Henry Rand Hatfield secured the first full-time professorial appointment in accounting in the United States as an associate professor at Berkeley in 1904 and a year earlier published the first paper in the United States on accounting theory, presented at an American Economic Association meeting. He e went onwent on to become the second dean of Berkeley's College of Commerce (the predecessor of Haas) in 1916 and helped found the American Accounting Association, which he served as president in 1919.
Maurice Moonitz, BS 33, MS 36, PhD 41, who passed away in 2009, earned his three business degrees from Berkeley, returned as an associate professor in 1947, and retired in 1978. A prolific scholar who wrote or edited approximately 70 articles and books on accounting, Moonitz was the first associate dean of Berkeley's newly formed Graduate School of Business Administration from 1955 to 1959.
Robert Sprouse, who passed away in 2007, served as vice chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Board for 11 years after joining as a member in 1973. His first teaching position was at Berkeley, where he co-authored at least one article with Professor Maurice Moonitz (listed above). In total Sprouse wrote two textbooks and more than 40 articles and co-authored major studies for the Accounting Principles Board. He served as president of the American Accounting Association from 1972 to 1973.
William Vatter wrote an influential text on managerial accounting in 1950 and was a pioneer in the field of methods for allocating costs. His Standards for Cost Analysis report to the comptroller general was the principal conceptual basis of the Cost Accounting Standards Board’s initial pronouncements.
Michael Chetkovich, BS 39, MBA 40, served as president of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, advocating for fundamental changes in the 1970s as Congress examined the accounting profession's ability to regulate itself. Chetkovich was also a managing partner of the firm Deloitte Haskins & Sells, and after retirement was appointed a regents' professor at the business school, which he served as director of external affairs. The business school awarded Chetkovich its Alumnus of the Year Award in 1973 and established an endowed chair in accounting in his name in 1978. He received Berkeley's Alumnus of the Year Award in 1985 and the Chancellor’s Award in 1986.