The Wharton award was created in 2007 to honor the outstanding work of Dr. Clifton R. Wharton, Jr., in the areas of philanthropy, higher education, business, and public policy. Dr. Wharton has been a Black pioneer in four different fields—philanthropy, foreign economic development, higher education, and business. The award is conferred each year by the Emerging Markets Program at Cornell University to a person who has distinguished him- or herself with “Outstanding Service, Leadership, and Contribution to Economic Progress in Emerging Markets.”

Learn more about our recipients of the Wharton Award