Message from President Andrew Benton
President Andrew K. Benton
There are differences, sometimes slight and sometimes great, between all the various institutions of higher learning in America. In regard to Pepperdine, our distinctiveness was apparent from the moment we opened our doors in 1937. On that September day in the midst of the Great Depression, there were no models for what our founder hoped to create.
George Pepperdine was a Christian businessman, and as an entrepreneur, he thought and acted in a practical, decisive way. He proposed to “help young men and women to prepare themselves for a life of usefulness in this competitive world.” But as a person of faith, he was interested in the spiritual and emotional aspects of one’s profession as well, realizing that there is more to life than position and monetary gain. He wanted his college to educate the whole person - mind, body, and spirit.
Mr. Pepperdine was really a visionary who put energy and ingenuity into his dreams. The institution he founded has continued to dream and to be an encourager of vision. We have often quoted Daniel Hudson Burnham, who, at the turn of the twentieth century, said, “Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood... Make big plans, aim high in hope and work.”
We believe that students ought to begin with a commitment to outstanding academics. But there are other elements that are also important. Students need a heart for excellence and a soul that makes big plans and aims high. In addition, without a foundation of ethics, character, and faith, we believe true success is impossible. We hope you are among those who want to soar beyond mediocrity and reach for the magic that will “stir men’s blood.”
Thousands of men and women have chosen the George L.Graziadio School of Business and Management because of its distinctive blend of qualities. Many enroll in executive programs, having already achieved positions of senior leadership, but wanting to recapture that competitive edge and creative fervor. Others come to gain leverage in their management careers. Though guidebooks and surveys agree that the Graziadio School is one of the finest business schools in the nation, it is the worldwide network of alumni that validates our extraordinary mission of preparing good people to “make big plans ” and “aim high in hope and work.”
It is my privilege to welcome you to Pepperdine. We hope your own personal mission parallels our own.
Andrew K. Benton
President
