Comparison of waiter derby then and now.
Dean Andrew Karolyi stands in front of a bookcase in his office.

To share in the celebration of a century of innovation and excellence is a privilege and an honor. Congratulations to the entire community on this remarkable milestone!

At the SC Johnson College of Business, we are deeply aware and appreciative of the contributions of the school – to society, to the hospitality industry, and to our evolving college. While it is true, as Dean Walsh notes, that membership in the college has extended the community of scholars, fundamentally strengthened our capacity to recruit top-notch faculty, expanded the school’s “sense of what’s possible,” it is equally true that we are a stronger, better, more robust college of business because of the unique attributes the Nolan Hotel School brings to the table. 

Since its founding, the school has had an impact well beyond Cornell's boundaries. Ahead of its time, the school pioneered a cooperative model between education and industry, delivering cutting-edge research and innovation to its industry partners worldwide. And, as we look ahead to the next century of innovation and partnership, the Nolan Hotel School is delivering that ethos to our college-wide integrated business education platform designed to meet tomorrow’s needs.

Our world-class faculty have developed innovative, practically oriented, industry-leading curricula and exciting experiential programs throughout the school’s history. Their groundbreaking research has transformed the landscape for the hospitality industry and for hospitality business education. As they’ve mentored, guided, and challenged generations of students, our faculty have truly helped shape the industry. And as today’s faculty teach and research across the breadth of the college, ever more students will benefit from the school's enduring legacy as we welcome the second century of excellence in teaching and research.

Nolan Hotel School alumni have always led the way, and today’s students are well-prepared to follow in their footsteps. Harnessing the power of the university and the college, this historical school is poised for her next century of excellence. Congratulations!

Andrew Karolyi
Charles Field Knight Dean
Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

Dean Karolyi wears a white Cornell t-shirt and a red Cornell baseball hat talking to students.
Students wear white Cornell t-shirts in front of McGraw tower waiting for the waiter derby to start.
Dean Andrew Karolyi participates in the waiter derby.

Explore More from This Issue

People stand and look up at red and white balloons falling from the above.

Hotelie: The Centennial Issue

Our year-long 100th Anniversary Celebration of the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration, culminates in this 100th anniversary edition of Hotelie celebrating the past, present, and future of the #1 Hospitality School in the world.

Headshot of Dean Pollack.

Congratulations on 100 Years

Cornell University President Martha Pollack recounts her experience meeting Hotelies across the country and congratulates the Nolan School community on this momentous anniversary.

Black and white image of people in formal business attire in a grand banquet hall.

A Partnership for the Ages

Explore the century-long relationship between the hospitality industry and the Ivy League school, now known as the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration. Read about the school's humble beginnings and its storied growth to the behemoth it is today.