Little receives first distinguished professorship named for Donald Danforth Jr.

James T. Little, Ph.D., became the first recipient of the Donald Danforth, Jr. Distinguished Professorship in Business in a ceremony at the Charles F. Knight Executive Education Center.

The professorship was established last year in the John M. Olin School of Business to honor alumnus and distinguished community and business leader Donald Danforth Jr. and to recognize the many contributions of the Danforth Foundation, which he helped guide as a trustee.

Present at the installation of James T. Little, Ph.D., as the first Donald Danforth, Jr. Distinguished Professor in Business are (from left) David Hollo, Donald Danforth Jr.'s son-in-law; Mahendra R. Gupta, Ph.D.; Christopher Danforth, Donald Danforth Jr.'s son; Elizabeth Little, Little's daughter; Little; Carolyn Danforth, Donald Danforth Jr.'s wife; Donald Danforth III, Donald Danforth Jr.'s son; John
Present at the installation of James T. Little, Ph.D., as the first Donald Danforth, Jr. Distinguished Professor in Business are (from left) David Hollo, Donald Danforth Jr.’s son-in-law; Mahendra R. Gupta, Ph.D.; Christopher Danforth, Donald Danforth Jr.’s son; Elizabeth Little, Little’s daughter; Little; Carolyn Danforth, Donald Danforth Jr.’s wife; Donald Danforth III, Donald Danforth Jr.’s son; John “Jack” Danforth; Susannah Danforth, Donald Danforth Jr.’s daughter-in-law; William H. Danforth, M.D.; and Mark S. Wrighton.

“Donald Danforth Jr. left an impressive legacy in the region as a business leader and community philanthropist,” Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton said. “We are proud to have this professorship bear Don’s name and are delighted to recognize his important contributions to the University and to the St. Louis community.”

“Donald Danforth Jr. was an eminent and distinguished leader in the St. Louis business community and also an alumnus of the school,” said Mahendra R. Gupta, Ph.D., the Geraldine J. and Robert L. Virgil Professor of Accounting and Management and dean of the business school.

“The Danforths have been a prominent part of St. Louis for well over 100 years. The Danforth name is synonymous with excellence nationwide,” he added. “Their support has been instrumental in making Olin a world-class business school. We are privileged to honor and celebrate the Danforth legacy with this professorship.”

The late Donald Danforth attended Princeton University for two years and completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Washington University in 1955. In 1967, he joined the Ralston Purina Co., which his grandfather, the first William H. Danforth, founded and his father, the late Donald Danforth Sr., headed.

In 1972, he left Ralston Purina, where he had been an executive vice president and headed the agricultural products group. He remained a board member and major shareholder for the rest of his life.

In addition, he was founding president of Danforth Agri-Resources. He served on the boards of numerous civic organizations, including the American Youth Foundation, which his grandfather founded, and the Brain Injury Association of Missouri, which he helped found.

Danforth was widely regarded for his character, humor and outstanding ability as a public speaker. His vision and support were especially instrumental in the creation of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in 1998.

Of primary importance to Danforth was his family: his wife, Carolyn; his children Carol, Kathy, Laura, Don and Christopher; and his grandchildren.

Danforth passed away in 2001, but his legacy of leadership and service to society is carried on by his siblings: William, 13th chancellor of the University and now chancellor emeritus and past chairman of the Board of Trustees; Dorothy Miller, an active supporter of the community; and John (“Jack”), former U.S. senator from Missouri and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Little joined the Department of Economics in Arts & Sciences in 1971, moving to the business school in 1982. He earned a doctorate from the University of Minnesota and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of British Columbia.

Praising his contributions to scholarship, Gupta said, “Jim Little is a great teacher, administrator and researcher who has been a valuable member of the Olin faculty for more than 20 years and whose career has been marked by many achievements.”

His research interests include the study of globalization for corporate strategies, the economics of the European Union and insurance regulation. His areas of expertise are business policy and strategy, international economics, financial investments and corporate finance. His extensive background also covers many areas of economics.

In addition, his administrative contributions have been pivotal to the growth of the business school. He serves as academic director of both the Executive MBA program here and the Washington University-Fudan University Executive MBA program offered in Shanghai, China. This program recently was ranked No. 1 in China and No. 8 in the world by Financial Times newspaper.

This connection to China made him a natural candidate for appointment as a McDonnell International Scholars Academy Ambassador, a group of distinguished WUSTL faculty members who help develop international ties with other countries’ educational and research institutions. Furthermore, he leads the London summer program.