Human Capital Briefs

In Memoriam: Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas

May 24, 2013

It is with much sadness we acknowledge the passing of Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas. He was a friend of The Conference Board, and a frequent speaker at our conferences and council meetings.

A pioneer in the field of diversity, his work helped to shape the early thinking about diversity and inclusion in organizations. For nearly three decades, Dr. Thomas helped organizations and individuals gain an understanding of the complexities and benefits of diversity. The author of seven books and numerous publications, Dr. Roosevelt is credited with being the founder of the field of diversity management.

Dr. Thomas received many awards for his work in diversity and inclusion. In addition, he was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources for his Distinguished Contribution to Human Resources Development from the American Society of Training and Development, and was recognized by The Wall Street Journal as one of the top ten consultants in the country.

Dr. Thomas held a D.B.A in Organizational Behavior from the Harvard Business School of Business Administration, an MBA in Finance from the University Of Chicago Graduate School Of Business Administration and a B.A. in Mathematics from Morehouse College.

Those who worked with Dr. Thomas perhaps remember him most for his simple, but profound, tale about the elephant and the giraffe, which so clearly illustrated how difference makes a difference. His vision, his wisdom, and his presence will be missed.