RIT College of Business collection

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: RITArc-0594

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The RIT College of Business records encompass the past 50 years of history of the College of Business. A majority of the records range from the 1960s to the 1990s. Included within this collection are the College of Business newsletter, the Business Bulletin, as well as promotional materials about the College of Business programs. There are promotional materials about events and seminars hosted by RIT, both on and off campus, that range from tax planning to management skills to events hosted by Delta Sigma Pi, the school’s chapter of the professional business fraternity.

Some other records within this collection include news clippings about the College of Business, journal articles written by faculty, alumni placement reports, and alumni questionnaires. Also included are presentation materials about a pitch to Sales and Marketing Executives regarding the facilities for the Graduate School of Sales Management and Marketing. Within this collection are announcements and memorandums regarding course offerings, scholarships, and faculty. Items related to the curriculum include lesson plans, project guidelines, and presentation tips.

Included within this collection are programs from and office memorandums about the Herbert W. Vanden Brul Entrepreneurial Award, as well as news clippings, invitation cards, and promotional cards.

Dates

Creation: 1950-2007
Creation: Majority of material found within 1960 - 1995

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to researchers.

Biographical / Historical

According to The McKechnie-Lunger School of Commerce records (related resource below), The McKechnie-Lunger School of Commerce was established by Robert J. McKechnie in 1917. Robert J. McKechnie (1887-1941) was the owner of a publishing company and he recognized that the Rochester area was in need of a stenographer’s school. McKechnie opened the Phono-Syllabic Shorthand School, a co-educational school, and developed the program to include commerce courses. The school was renamed the McKechnie-Lunger School of Commerce in 1926 to better reflect what the school offered.

The McKechnie-Lunger School of Commerce was acquired by Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in 1952 after years of declining admission. The School of Commerce was consolidated with several programs to create the Department of Business Administration. On April 1, 1952, the Department of Business Administration began its courses. The Department of Business Administration offered a variety of majors, including: accounting, management, real estate and insurance, executive secretarial work, and medical-dental secretarial training. There were also short courses offered by the department in legal and insurance secretaryship as well as selling and advertising. The College of Business Administration was officially established in 1960. When RIT moved from downtown Rochester to Henrietta, the College of Business established a MBA program. According to the college’s history overview, the College of Business earned the U.S. News & World Report’s Top 50 Ranking in 1996 and 2001-2003. The college was renamed to the E. Philip Saunders College of Business in 2006. The college officially changed its logos and dropped “E. Philip” from its name to become the Saunders College of Business in 2013.

The Herbert W. Vanden Brul Entrepreneurial Award was created in 1984. The award was named for Herbert W. VandenBrul who was one of the founders of RF Communications, which is now a branch of the Harris Corporation. The RF Communications branch has become “the world’s leading provider of tactical communication systems to military and government agencies” according to the Harris Corporation’s website. Given on an annual basis, the Herbert W. VandenBrul Entrepreneurial Award honors individuals or groups who have made a significant impact on Rochester’s economy by either developing a successful business or drastically improving an existing business through innovative management and leadership skills.

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet (1 Document Box)

Language

English

Additional Description

Overview

This collection contains records from the RIT College of Business. The contents of this collection document the history from 1950 to the early 2000’s. This collection includes the following: promotional materials, news clippings, announcements, memorandums, a chronological history of the College of Business, and the college’s publication, the Business Bulletin. There is also comprehensive documentation of the Herbert W. VandenBrul Entrepreneurial Award from 1984 to 2007.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged chronologically and by series.

Other Finding Aids

In addition to this finding aid, an inventory is available below. For more information, please contact the RIT Archive Collections.

RIT College of Business collection