SBI 50th Celebration
>> Tentative Celebration Activities
(PDF)
>> Gala Mixer Reception
(Tickets are now available for purchase!)
>> SBI 50th Celebration Sponsorship Packet
(PDF)
>> Alumni Re-Engagement Form
Please use the links above to view event details!
Thank you to our Sponsors!
Super Event Sponsor
Melannie Speight Daniels
Event SponsorS
Bennett Thrasher LLP
Citi
School of Business and Industry Historical Overview
In the late 1930s, during World War II, the Commercial Department was born. In 1945, accounting and other curricular components were added, shortly before it was transformed to the Department of Business and Commercial Sciences in 1947 with the inclusion of business administration. In 1972, Dean Leedell Neyland combined business and economics to create the Department of Business and Economics, to which Sybil Collins Mobley was appointed Chair. In 1974, the Department was elevated to what is now known as the School of Business and Industry (SBI) with Sybil Collins Mobley as its founding dean (Neyland, Leedell W., Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University: A Centennial History 1887-1987, FAMU Foundation, 1987).
Through the course of several reorganizations, the Division of Business Education, Secretarial Science and Office Management was relocated to the College of Education, where it remained until 2011 when it was terminated by the BOT. The Division of Economic Development (now named the Department of Economics) was relocated back to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (then the College of Arts and Sciences), and transferred back to SBI from the College of Arts and Sciences in July 2011.
As reflected in the vision statement (“[SBI] aspires to be recognized nationally and internationally as a preeminent center of excellence in business.”) and delineated in its mission statement, SBI’s innovative business education model of “academic, professional [leadership] development [PLD], and internship experiences,” created by Dean Mobley, and still fully operational today, is designed to provide students with the technical and behavioral competencies necessary for them to excel as global business leaders.
History of Dean Sybil Collins Mobley, Ph.D.
While married to James Otis Mobley, Sr., also an entrepreneur, who owned and operated a laundry business and cared for their three children (James, Janet, and Melvin), Sybil pursued higher education with remarkable grit and determination. She earned an MBA from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania in 1960, and swiftly proceeded to complete her Ph.D. in Accounting at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 1964, setting a university record with her accelerated studies under Robert K. Mautz’s guidance.
After her academic achievements, Sybil Mobley ascended to professorship and department chair. In 1974, she became the pioneering Dean of the School of Business and Industry (SBI) at Florida A&M University, a role she held until her retirement on June 30, 2003. Under her visionary leadership, Dr. Mobley launched innovative academic programs by integrating a complimentary professional development and mandatory internships. She instilled in students the SBI motto "No excuse is acceptable. No amount of effort is adequate until proven effective," fostering a culture of excellence.
Dr. Mobley's impact extended beyond academia fostering a culture of academic and professional excellence. She served on the boards of many Fortune 500 companies including Anheuser-Busch, Champion International Corporation, Dean Witter, Hershey Foods Corporation, Sears Roebuck & Company, and Southwestern Bell Corporation. Additionally, she consulted for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Dr. Mobley was active in numerous professional organizations and received honorary degrees from several prestigious universities.
After her retirement, Dr. Mobley was named Dean Emerita, and the SBI (four-wing) Complex was renamed the Dr. Sybil Collins Mobley Business Complex in her honor. Her legacy continues through endowed scholarships, the Sybil Collins Mobley Endowed Professor, and the Sybil Collins Mobley Endowed Chair, which received an additional $1M donation from the Hershey Corporation for her service on their Board after she passed.
Dr. Mobley's steadfast drive and dedication transformed countless lives, personally and professionally, across generations, shaping leaders (SBIans) in education, public and private corporations, entrepreneurship, and nonprofit sectors globally. Her trailblazing foresight and commitment to excellence ensure that her legacy and influence will endure for generations of SBIans yet unborn.
>> Dr. George Clark’s SBI Photo Archive
50 years of photo galleries from our beloved historian. All class photos on this web
page were taken by Dr. George Clark.
Point of Contact:
Constance M. Thomas
Coordinator, Administrative Services
School of Business and Industry (SBI)
Florida A&M University (FAMU)
500 Robert and Trudie Perkins Way, Suite 105 South Wing| Tallahassee, FL 32307
850.599.3565 office | 850.599.3553 fax | constance.thomas@famu.edu
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