More Than a Dean

More Than a Dean is a powerful tribute to the life's work and legacy of Dean Quiester Craig, an extraordinary educator, visionary leader, and man of great humanitarian spirit.

As a dean, he played a vital role in shaping business school education at HBCUs and diversifying the American business school landscape, including serving in several roles as the first African American and HBCU representative. To tell his story, biography, history, and social commentary are thoughtfully woven together to emphasize his lasting influence on generations of African American students, century-old business school and professional organizations, corporate America, and the accounting profession.

Quiester Craig's journey is traced from his childhood during the Jim Crow era in Montgomery, Alabama, to his formative educational experiences, where he developed the strength and purpose that guided his future. Segregation dictated his career path, ultimately leading him to his life's work as dean of the business school at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. During his forty-one years there, his unwavering commitment to education, excellence, equity, and impact was reflected in the culture he built and measured by the success of his students.

Central to Dean Craig's legacy is how HBCUs responded to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which opened unprecedented opportunities for African Americans in professional and corporate careers.