Nolan 100th Celebration

Peter Nolan ’80, MBA ’82, and Stephanie Nolan ’84 give a $50 million gift, one that establishes the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration and provides scholarships for future Hotelies.

Cornell University renames one of its main campus roads in honor of Charles F. “Chuck” Feeney ’56, a Hotelie who invested nearly $1 billion throughout the university over a period of nearly 40 years.

The School of Hotel Administration becomes part of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, which is supported by a $150 million gift from H. Fisk Johnson, ’79, MEng ’80, MS ’82, MBA ’84, PhD ’86 and SC Johnson.

The Program in Real Estate receives an $11 million gift from Lisa and Richard Baker ’88 that more than triples the program’s endowment. At the time, it is the school’s second-largest gift in its 90-year history.

Five hundred people celebrate the grand opening of the Beck Center on October 28, 2004. This event follows the first class held in the building, which was taught by Neal Geller ’64, the Robert A. Beck Professor.

The School of Hotel Administration introduced the master of management in hospitality (MMH) degree program. It is developed under the leadership of Professor Neal Geller.

The grand opening of the Statler Hotel and J. Willard Marriott Executive Education Center takes place on April 10, 1989, the opening day of Hotel Ezra Cornell’s 64th event.

Clyde Robinson founds the Society of Minority Hoteliers (SMH), the first such organization in the country and the beginning of the National Society of Minority Hoteliers, which is founded in 1990.

Banfi Vintners establishes the country’s first chair in wine education and management at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. It is awarded to Vance Christian ’61, MS ’65.

The school expands its curriculum, adding courses in marketing, managerial economics, computer science, and franchising. In 1973, it establishes the nation’s first master’s degree program in hotel administration.