Since his Commencement a half-century ago, Clifton R. Wharton Jr. '47 has filled a roster of accomplishments.

In less than 50 years, Wharton went from working as the first black on Harvard's radio station to becoming the first black deputy secretary of state, under President Clinton.

"I've had three different careers, and in each of them I found it necessary to use all of the education as well as the experience I've had before," Wharton said in an interview from his New York home. "I used everything I had, including my experience at Harvard."

Wharton's education beyond the College included a master's from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in 1948, and a master's and Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago in 1956 and 1958, respectively.

After working at several foundations as an economist assisting developing nations in Latin America and Southeast Asia, Wharton served as president of Michigan State University from 1970 to 1978, and then as chancellor of the State University of New York, the nation's largest university system. He holds 51 honorary degrees.

Named deputy secretary of state in 1993--the first black to hold the nation's second-highest foreign-policy post--Wharton later resigned because of excessive news leaks from the State Department, according to an article published by the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association and College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF).

Wharton's father, the late Clifton R. Wharton Sr., served as a U.S. Foreign Service officer--an inspiration for his son's involvement in the planning of this week's Marshall Plan symposium at Harvard. The elder Wharton was himself a ground-breaker, serving as the first U.S. career ambassador.

The younger Wharton first got involved in helping developing nations at his Commencement, where Secretary of State George C. Marshall announced his celebrated plan for European post-war reconstruction.

The Association for Asian Studies (AAS) awarded Wharton an honorary membership in 1995 in recognition of his contributions in business, education and government, and for his services as chair of the group's finance committee. In its announcement of the award, the AAS called Wharton "a member of a group of economists who pioneered American research and service in Southeast Asia."

The notice cited Wharton's service in economic development at the State Department and at the U.S. Agency for International Development as having "played a critical role in the solution of rural development programs, and demonstrated the importance of careful scholarship in policy development."

Family Ties

Clifton came from a very strong family. "They were incredibly strong people who motivated all their children--including Clifton--very well," says William S. Ellis '44-'46, a general civil practitioner in law and a lifelong friend of Wharton. "I always knew that he was very bright, got along very well with people and was a hard worker."

"I knew somewhere along the line that he'd do very well," Ellis continues.

Wharton says that being raised as the son of a foreign-service officer "made me much more aware of different cultures and different peoples. I had from childhood a world view which has been with me all my life. It was particularly sharpened during the 13 years that we were involved in Asia."

Ellis says Wharton was profoundly influenced by the time he spent in Asia.