H. Naylor Fitzhugh

Howard Naylor Fitzhugh was an American academic and one of the first African-American graduates of Harvard Business School. Fitzhugh is credited with creating the concept of target marketing.[1]

H. Naylor Fitzhugh
BornOctober 31, 1909
Washington D.C., U.S.
DiedJuly 26, 1992 (aged 82)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma materHarvard University (B.A.)
Harvard Business School (MBA)
OccupationAcademic

Early life

Fitzhugh was born on October 31, 1909 in Washington, D.C.[2] He earned a full scholarship to Harvard at the age of sixteen while still a student at Dunbar High School. Fitzhugh, intent on becoming a doctor, studied science and graduated cum laude from Harvard University in 1930. Three years later, he earned his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1933.

Career

Fitzhugh could not find work in his field and returned to his native Washington, D.C. to teach a business course at Howard University.[3] This was only supposed to be a temporary position, but Fitzhugh continued teaching marketing and management at Howard University for 31 years.[4] At Howard, he developed the university's marketing program, organized its Small Business Center, and advised the student marketing association for many years.[5]

In 1965, Fitzhugh accepted a marketing position at the Pepsi-Cola Company. He worked in establishing the African-American community as a lucrative mass market and created the concept of target marketing in corporate America.[6] He eventually became Vice President for Special Markets at Pepsi.

In 1974, Black Enterprise named him the "Dean of Black Business."[7] The following year, Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller presented Fitzhugh with a special black enterprise achievement award. Fitzhugh was also a founding member and past president of the National Association of Market Developers, aimed at black consumers, and acted as a consultant for major corporations and, from 1975 to 1981, for the United States Census Bureau.[7] He helped to establish the Black Alumni Association at Harvard Business School and become its first chairman in 1978.

Death and legacy

Fitzhugh died on July 26, 1992 at the age of 82 in at New York University Medical Center. After his death, Harvard Business School established an endowed professorship in Fitzhugh’s name.[6] Pepsi also created a fellowship at Harvard University which enable students from Howard University and other historically black colleges and universities to attend Harvard Business School.[8]

References
  1. "AASU 2002 H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference - H. Naylor Fitzhugh: Bridging Education, Leadership, and Community". HBS Working Knowledge. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
  3. H. Naylor Fitzhugh Conference Archived 2007-08-18 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Tribute to the Dean
  5. Student Marketing Association Archived 2010-06-23 at the Wayback Machine
  6. HBS African-American Student Union Archived 2008-03-02 at the Wayback Machine
  7. H. Naylor Fitzhugh, 82, Educator And Pioneer in Target Marketing
  8. PepsiCo’s Timeline of Diversity

See also
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