Wharton gets $10 million from Goergen

Gift will fund Wharton's creation of the Goergan Entrepreneurial Management Program. The Wharton School announced the creation of Goergen Entrepreneurial Management Program with a $10 million gift from alumnus Robert Goergen -- a successful entrepreneur and Chairperson and CEO of Blyth Industries -- last week. The Goergen Program will build on Wharton;s commitment to the teaching and study of entrepreneurship by establishing a Robert B. Goergen Professorship and sponsoring Goergen Fellowships for faculty to teach new courses needed to meet the growing demand for entrepreneurial management instruction. Wharton will conduct a worldwide search for a program director. Wharton established the world's first integrated curriculum of entrepreneurial studies in 1973 and currently offers 22 courses in entrepreneurship to over 2,000 students annually in addition to supporting over 700 students with major concentrations in entrepreneurial studies. Goergen, who earned his MBA from Wharton in 1962, transformed Blyth Industries -- a leading manufacturer of candles, candle accessories and home fragrance products -- from a $3 million regional manufacturer of grocery store and religious candles to a company that designs, manufactures and markets candles internationally. His company reported revenues of $500 million for 1996 and. The parent company and its subsidiaries -- Candles Corporation of America and Party Lite Gifts -- employ 2,200 people. Goergen has also held several management positions at other leading organizations, including McCann-Erickson, McKinsey and Co. and Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette. "Wharton provided me with many of the tools and skills responsible for my business track record," Goergen said. "Moreover, I'm a strong supporter of the entrepreneurial spirit in America, which creates business growth and increases employment and prosperity." He added that "the gift is intended to help the school prepare the next generation of business leaders by adding depth and breadth to its entrepreneurial management faculty." The specific five-year goals of the program include increasing the number of junior faculty and supporting tenure-track development, establishing a growing standing faculty, attracting more visiting scholars from abroad, increasing course offerings and student exchange programs and establishing entrepreneurial programs in developing countries. The gift will also enable Wharton to enhance its doctoral programs and teacher development initiatives aimed at producing the next generation of entrepreneurial faculty and scholars. Wharton will use part of the gift to expand its international programming in new business venturing through new and existing partnerships with other institutions. "Bob Goergen's generous gift will help Wharton build the world's preeminent faculty in business venturing," Wharton Dean Thomas Gerrity said. "The Goergen Entrepreneurial Management Program will be a cornerstone of management education at Wharton and is critical to our plans for the 21st century."