CBE’s 50th Anniversary
CBE is 50!
It’s our 50th anniversary! Western Washington University’s Board of Trustees established the College of Business and Economics (CBE) in 1976. For five decades, students have come to CBE eager to build their futures. By graduation, they leave with greater confidence, clarity of purpose, and the skills to thrive.
Where are you now?
Alums, we want to hear from you! You are part of our legacy, and we want to reconnect and hear your story. To get started, we invite you to fill out our alumni survey.
Celebration events
We have some exciting events planned for the year, including a Conversation with Alumni Entrepreneurs on Wednesday, April 22 at Chuckanut Bay Distillery, the inaugural CBE Viking Classic Golf Tournament at Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club on Friday, Oct. 2, and a CBE Business Summit in Seattle on Thursday, Nov. 12.
Support the ‘Big 50’ Campaign
Help us celebrate our past and invest in the next generation. Our goal is to raise $5.0 million to ensure students have the same transformational opportunities for decades to come. We need your support to invest in our state-of-the-art curriculum and new degrees of the future. Our fundraising priorities:
- CBE Scholarships
- CBE Student Success
- CBE Professional and Career Readiness
- Innovation in Education
The Management Department has long played a central role in preparing graduates for meaningful leadership roles in their communities and beyond. Established in the mid-1980s, the department emerged from the College of Business and Economics’ early commitment to practical, forward-thinking business education. Its creation reflected a growing recognition that effective leadership, organizational strategy, and human resource development required focused academic attention. Alumni from those early years witnessed the department define its identity while refining a curriculum designed to prepare graduates for supervisory and executive responsibilities.
Over the decades, the department has continually adapted to economic and organizational change. As industries became more global and technology-driven, coursework evolved to emphasize teamwork, strategic thinking, ethical leadership, and organizational change. These were not merely curricular adjustments—they reflected the realities graduates would encounter: dynamic markets, diverse teams, and constant innovation.
Today, students pursue degrees in Management, International Business, Business & Sustainability, and Entrepreneurship & Innovation. While each program has a distinct focus, all share a commitment to experiential learning, internships, and community-based practicums. Faculty challenge students to think creatively, act boldly, and, as Dr. Tom Roehl advises, “be comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Students today benefit from decades of intentional growth and refinement. The department’s history reveals a consistent pattern: it listens, evolves, and prepares graduates not just for their first job, but for sustained leadership over a lifetime. As students move through the program, they become part of that continuing story, helping to shape the next chapter of management education at Western.
Featured departments schedule
January and February: Economics
March and April: Management
May and June: Accounting
July and August: MBA
September and October: Decision Sciences
November and December: Finance and Marketing
Previous Months’ Featured Departments
Welcome to the 50th anniversary of the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University! Founded in 1976, the College emerged at a pivotal moment for both Western and the world economy, reflecting decades of institutional growth and a growing recognition of the importance of economics and business education.
In the years following World War II, Western expanded beyond its original mission as a teachers' college and began developing programs across the academic spectrum, including economics, accounting, and business. Along with history, sociology, and government, these fields comprised the Department of Social Studies. By the 1960s, continued growth led to the creation of a stand-alone Department of Economics and Business, which allowed faculty leaders such as Erwin Mayer and Howard Mitchell to expand course offerings, establish a distinct major in economics, and integrate economics into the general university curriculum.
This steady institutional development unfolded alongside major transformations in the global economy. By the time the College was formed in 1976, the collapse of the Bretton Woods system, the oil shocks of the early 1970s, persistent inflation and unemployment, and ongoing debates over economic growth all underscored the central importance of economics in understanding and responding to a rapidly changing world.
As the featured department for January and February of this anniversary year, the Department of Economics celebrates its enduring role in this story. Economics formed the analytical backbone during the creation of the College — shaping curricula, informing research, and training students to think critically about markets, institutions, and public policy. As we look to the future, economics will remain essential as our students and the world at large confront new challenges, from globalization and technological change to inequality, sustainability, and shifting demographics. By grounding the College’s future in rigorous economic thinking, the Department of Economics aims to connect Western’s history to its next fifty years.
-based on excerpts from A Short Pre-History of the College of Business and Economics by Dr. Erwin S. Mayer
Celebrate with CBE!
A Conversation with Alumni Entrepreneurs, April 22
Join us for an evening of inspiration, connection, and community with two alumni entrepreneurs.
Learn more and register to attend here.
CBE Viking Classic Golf Tournament, Oct. 2
Join us at the inaugural CBE Viking Classic Golf Tournament at the beautiful Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club in Blaine.
CBE Business Summit in Seattle, Nov. 12
Gather with alumni and community members at the CBE Business Summit in Seattle on Nov. 12 at Bell Harbor International Conference Center. More information about the agenda will be posted soon.
Alumni Stories
Complete the short survey to contribute to our 50 Years of Alumni website and “Where Are You Now” project. We’ll highlight stories online and create a commemorative yearbook featuring CBE alumni near and far. You will also have a chance to opt-in to hearing more about upcoming 50th year celebration events for students, alumni, and community throughout western Washington.
Tap the link or scan the QR code to get started.
Highlights from the last 50 years
1976
In January of 1976, the College of Business and Economics is formed under the leadership of transitional Dean Howard Mitchell.
1976
Dean Robert Collier chosen to head the new College.
1976
The Intalco Distinguished Lecture Series is created by a gift from the Intalco Aluminum Company of Ferndale with an initial grant of $5,000 per year.
1977
A Department of Social and Health Services grant of $100,000 assisted in the planning and implementation of an MBA program.
1978
The Center for Economic Education — now the Center for Economic and Financial Education — is established with the objective of improving the quality and expanding the scope of economic education in the state of Washington.
1978
The Center for Economic and Business research is created and issues first two reports: a student report titled “The Impact of the Alaska Ferry on Bellingham,” and a faculty report titled “The Early History of the College of Business and Economics.”
1979
The Real Estate Research Committee for Whatcom County is formed with WWU playing a leading role.
1979
Enrollment in the College of Business and Economics doubles reaching 1,500 majors.
1979
Over the last two examinations, CBE’s Accounting graduates score better on the CPA exam than those from any other school in the state.
1979
The first class of the MBA program starts.
1980
The Small Business Institute begins providing analysis and consulting for small businesses.
1981
J. Ronnie Davis is named dean in July of 1981. Davis leaves after winter quarter 1983 for the University of South Alabama, returning to the gulf coast where he grew up.
1981
The building that will one day be Parks Hall is under construction. Photo via Western Libraries Special Collections Campus History Collection.
1982
CBE moves into the South Academic Building (later renamed Parks Hall). Originally, the building housed CBE and the speech pathology and audiology department.
1983
Western’s Small Business Development Center begins providing free, confidential advising, technical assistance, and research to business owners and managers in an effort to help businesses thrive.
1983
Dennis Murphy, a WWU alumnus, becomes dean of the College of Business and Economics, a position he holds for 25 years — from 1983 to 2007.
Photo: Dennis Murphy stands in front of photos of the first four deans of CBE. Courtesy of Bruce Wonder.
1983
The Winter 1983 issue of Résumé, the WWU alumni magazine, announces the renaming of South Academic Building to Parks Hall, named in honor of university benefactor Maynard Parks, a retired railroad executive, and the late M. Patricia Parks. They were owners of a valuable property on Lake Samish and were so impressed by Western’s rowing team practicing on the lake, they decided to donate the property to Western.
1984
The former Department of Business Administration is divided into the departments of Management and Finance, Marketing, and Decision Sciences (FMDS). Eugene Owens chairs Management and Earl Benson chairs FMDS.
1988
The Ross Distinguished Professor of Canada-United States Business and Economics Relations is established through an endowment by the government of Canada and the state of Washington. The professorship was created in memory of G. Robert Ross, Western’s president from 1983 until his death in 1987.
1990
The Summer 1990 issue of Résumé, the WWU alumni magazine, reports: “After a three-year effort, the College of Business and Economics has gained accreditation of its bachelor’s and master’s programs from the Accreditation Council of the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business. Only 255 of the about 1,200 colleges and universities in the United States offering undergraduate business degrees and just more than a third of the 600 offering master’s degrees are AACSB accredited.”
1990-ish
Western launches the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, an IRS-sponsored national program that provides free tax assistance and learning for campus and community members.
1990s
CBE launches an evening MBA program.
1993
CBE creates the Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management program combining an operations-based business education, select engineering curriculum, and relevant internship experience.
1995-96
Haskell Plaza circa 1995. Photo by Lori McGriff-Boroughs. Photo via Western Libraries Special Collections Campus History Collection.
1996
Haskell Plaza, named for donors F. Murray and Betty Haskell, is complete. Designed by Campbell & Campbell, the plaza won a Seattle American Institute of Architects award for the landscape design which uses paving, rocks, and earthen mounds to suggest the islands and waters of the Salish Sea.
2002
A July 3 fire destroys a computer room on the third floor of Parks Hall. There was extensive smoke and water damage and everyone had to relocate for the rest of summer, but the building was repaired in time for fall quarter. Photo courtesy of Bruce Wonder.
2002
The Department of Finance, Marketing, Decision Sciences splits: The Department of Decision Sciences, chaired by Floyd Lewis, offers study in Management Information Systems (MIS), Operations Management (OPS), with additional course work in quantitative methods. The Department of Finance and Marketing, chaired by Terrell Williams, offers study in several related fields of business administration relating to financial and marketing management
2004
The Western Business Summit is initiated with the goal of recognizing and promoting excellence in business education at WWU by fostering connections among business professionals, faculty, staff, and students.
2008
The Center for Economic Vitality (CEV) is founded and provides business counseling and export assistance to Washington businesses. CEV is in operation through 2012.
2009
Brian Burton is named dean of the College. In 2013, Burton leaves CBE to become associate vice president for WWU's Academic Affairs.
2009
The MBA program is ranked in the top 100 (72nd) programs worldwide by the Aspen Institute.
2010
The Small Business Development Center opens an office at 115 Unity St., Suite 101, in downtown Bellingham as a service for local businesses.
2010
CBE launches an Everett-based weekend MBA program.
2012
Dean Emeritus Dennis Murphy receives the Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award. Murphy received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western and returned in 1979 to serve more than 30 years at his alma mater.
2013
A $500,000 pledge from Moss Adams puts the firm's name on the soon-to-be launched professional readiness center.
2013
A $500,000 gift from WWU alumnus and retired Microsoft vice president David W. Cole and his wife Denise — who also attended Western — enables WWU to hire its first professor of Entrepreneurship, the David Cole Professor of Entrepreneurship, to provide leadership for and teach courses in a new Entrepreneurship minor.
2014
Craig Dunn is appointed to a two-year term as dean following a year as interim dean. Dunn began at WWU in 2005 and is currently the Emeritus Wilder Distinguished Professor of Business and Sustainability.
2016
Scott Young is selected as dean. Young serves as dean until 2023 and continues to teach in the department of Decision Sciences.
2016
WWU graduates the first group of students in the Poulsbo-based Business Administration bachelor’s degree program at Olympic College.
2016
The Small Business Development Center opens a satellite office in Barkley Village.
2018
The Career Closet receives its first donations. Initially the resource was to be housed in CBE, but the response is so big that CBE runs out of space and the Career Closet is moved to the Career Center.
2019
The Small Business Development Center opens an office in Poulsbo.
2022
The WWU Small Business Development Center transitions to a hybrid service provision model and closes the Cornwall office, consolidating into the Barkley office.
2023
Deanna Kennedy is chosen as dean of the College of Business and Economics.
2024
WWU launches the Merriman Financial Literacy Program. Founded through a generous commitment from alumnus and financial educator Paul Merriman (’66) and his wife Zan Merriman, the program offers free financial literacy courses and financial literacy peer mentorship.
2026
Help us celebrate CBE’s next 50 years of educating students!