George G. C. Parker, the Dean Witter Distinguished Professor of Finance, Emeritus, has been a steadfast and influential presence at Stanford GSB since he enrolled as a student. “I’ve done everything there is to do here except serve as dean and clip the flowers,” joked George about his numerous roles at the GSB over the years. After graduating with his MBA in 1962, he served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Peru before returning to the university to earn his PhD in 1967. Since joining the faculty in 1973, George’s many contributions to the GSB encompass research, teaching, and outstanding leadership, including overseeing Executive Education, serving as senior associate dean for Academic Affairs, and acting as director for both the MBA Program and the Stanford GSB Sloan Master’s Program (now Stanford MSx Program). He further contributed to the Stanford community by being a member of the Faculty Senate and serving as the faculty chairman of the advisory panel on investment responsibility for the Board of Trustees. Despite his emeritus status, he continues to teach courses in corporate finance in both the MBA and MSx programs.
George’s students describe his exceptional ability to make learning enjoyable, accessible, and inspirational. His commitment to his students and to Stanford has been recognized with multiple honors, including the 2006 Distinguished Teaching Award in the MBA Program and the 2000 Robert T. Davis Award for Faculty Lifetime Achievement. In 2008, a group of his former students, friends, and colleagues established the George G. C. Parker Professorship in Management in his honor.
George continues to give back to the university and the broader community, serving as director for multiple publicly traded companies and on the advisory board of the Stanford Red Barn, the original equestrian facility on campus. His MBA ‘62 classmates Walt Payne and Paul Violich state that George has “influenced the thinking and direction of thousands of students throughout the world,” describing him as “an icon at the GSB.”
