Celebrating Visionary Business Educator Dr. Sybil C. Mobley, WG’61, Hon’81, Through Philanthropy

Dr. Sybil C. Mobley, WG’61, Hon’81, was a highly accomplished Wharton alumna whose dedication to identifying and developing top-tier business talent is noted by all who knew her. Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1925, Dr. Mobley received her MBA from Wharton in 1961 and later earned a PhD in accounting from the University of Illinois. In 1963, she began teaching accounting at Florida A&M University (FAMU), where she served as founding dean of the School of Business and Industry (SBI) from 1974 until her retirement in 2003. In 1981, Dr. Mobley received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Wharton in recognition of her outstanding contributions to education and business.

Alumni and friends from Wharton and SBI recently came together to honor Dr. Mobley by establishing the Dr. Sybil C. Mobley MBA Fellowship Fund. The fund, which will provide financial support to MBA students at the Wharton School, was created to mark the 65th anniversary of Dr. Mobley’s graduation from Wharton, as well as the 45th anniversary of her honorary degree. Drs. Janet (Mobley) and Jenay Sermon, her daughter and granddaughter, joined the group during Reunion to celebrate the new fund. “Our family appreciates this important acknowledgement of our mom’s connection to Wharton — a place where she made her imprint and one that left its imprint on her,” said the elder Sermon. “She would be happy to see that SBI alumni are committed to supporting the next generation of leaders.”

Greg Deavens, a graduate of SBI who recently retired from his role as president and CEO of Independence Health Group, is among the core group of organizers whose efforts brought the fellowship to life. “I first spoke to Dr. Mobley in the spring of 1978 when I was starting my senior year in high school,” said Deavens. “She was personally recruiting students like me to attend SBI. At the start of our conversation, I had never heard of Florida A&M, and by the end I was very eager to learn more about the school.”

When fellow SBI alumna Dr. Karen Proudford, G’91, GRW’96, first reached out to Deavens and Al Fuller, WG’90, about a campaign to establish the fellowship, getting involved was, as Deavens put it, “an easy yes.” “Dr. Sybil Mobley, through her visionary leadership, groundbreaking approach to business education, and deep experience in board service, established a gold standard and expectations that helped her students launch extremely successful careers in a range of industries,” noted Deavens. “Acknowledging that impact in this way is amazingly rewarding and a well-deserved tribute to one of the unsung heroines of my lifetime.” The trio contacted Wharton alumni, including Kevin Anderson, WG’84, and Belinda Matingou, WG’88, along with other fellow FAMU-SBI alumni and friends in order to garner support for the fund.

As founding dean of SBI, Dr. Mobley pioneered an approach to business education that focused on soft skills and leadership immersion as much as traditional technical training. SBI students were held to a rigorous professional standard, acting as leaders of student-run companies over the course of their four years at FAMU. Students were also required to attend weekly talks with prominent business leaders, as well as to undertake long-term internships at several companies before graduation. It was a high-impact approach that Proudford and other FAMU-SBI grads who ultimately pursued doctorates would in turn carry forward to their work in academia.

Doris Corbett, who joined SBI as a faculty member in the professional development department in 1987, worked especially closely with Dr. Mobley, who died in 2015. “At the end of every day, she would debrief with her SBI executive board of directors, random faculty, and students, because she was intimately involved in results,” Corbett said. “When she retired and ultimately passed away, it left a tremendous void in my life. But I know that the seeds that she planted have been well watered, and they’re sprouting all over. So I’m happy, and I know that she’s happy.”

At Wharton, the Dr. Sybil C. Mobley MBA Fellowship Fund will serve as a fitting tribute to Dr. Mobley’s enduring legacy. MBA fellowships offset the cost of attending Wharton and make it possible for excellent students to take full advantage of the School’s unique opportunities. Like Dr. Mobley herself, the Dr. Sybil C. Mobley MBA Fellowship Fund will empower Wharton’s most promising students to leverage their talents and pursue rewarding careers.

To learn more about the Dr. Sybil C. Mobley MBA Fellowship Fund, please contact Rebecca Haley at rehaley@wharton.upenn.edu.