CBA at 100

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A century that matters because the future demands it

We don’t need to overstate the moment we’re in. We see it every day: disruption, innovation, uncertainty—and a widening gap between what business can do and what business should do.

That is exactly why the LMU College of Business Administration Centennial matters.

For 100 years, CBA has formed values-driven leaders who pair academic rigor with ethical grounding—leaders with competence and conscience, ambition and accountability. In Los Angeles and beyond, this college has shown that business can, and must, be a force for good.

The Conrad N. Hilton Center for Business—home to generations of LMU business students and a symbol of CBA’s long-standing commitment to future-ready education.

A centennial made of a thousand moments

As a longtime community member and now a CBA parent, I’ve had a front-row seat to what makes CBA special.

When I think about what it means to celebrate a centennial, I don’t picture a single moment, but a thousand moments that matter more—students gathering in the Hilton lobby between classes, faculty conversations that spark new ideas, highly engaged alumni coming back “just to say hello” and leaving with renewed purpose, and community partners leaning in because they believe in what we do at LMU. (And if you ask employers which graduates they most want to hire, they will consistently tell you why they seek out LMU Lions.)

That’s why I love the way Dean Dayle Smith is launching CBA’s Centennial Year: with students at the center, joy in the air, and a campus community invited to show up and share in it. Balloons. Cupcakes. Giveaways. A “CBA Birthday Party” this Thursday with an open-house feel. It’s simple and strategic, and exactly how a values-driven college honors a values-driven legacy: by gathering people, building a sense of belonging, and pointing forward.

Dayle, thank you. Thank you for your leadership, your collaboration across the university, and your unmistakable vision for CBA. Under your guidance, “Business for Good” isn’t a slogan, it’s an expectation. “CBA Strong” is a community standard.

I’ve been honored to serve LMU alongside you, and alongside the leadership of this college across the years. CBA has been shaped by eight deans, each leaving the college better than they found it. I’m especially grateful that I’ve had the privilege of working with the last three deans of CBA—John Wholihan, Dennis Draper, and Dayle Smith—whom I am proud to call respected colleagues and friends.

From 13 students downtown… to a global community of impact

The Centennial website reminds us that CBA’s story began in 1926, when 13 students gathered in downtown Los Angeles to take Loyola University’s earliest business courses—economics and accounting—setting in motion what would become a defining engine of LMU’s impact.

From those modest beginnings, the scale of CBA’s influence today is extraordinary—measurable in numbers, yes, but even more powerfully in lives changed:

• 45 years of AACSB accreditation
• 23,530 total CBA alumni
• 72% CBA student internship rate
• 219 advisory council members helping shape what comes next

That’s a century of formation of students for others, prepared not only to succeed, but to lead with conscience; not only to innovate, but to do so with moral courage.

Moments of leadership in action—engaging students where learning, mentorship, and inspiration meet.

Dean Smith’s presence is the point

One of the things I hear again and again—especially from students—is that Dean Smith seems to be everywhere. On campus. At events. In conversation with alumni. In partnership meetings. And yes, representing LMU on a global stage.

That presence matters. When students repeatedly encounter the dean—not as a distant figure, but as an engaged presence in the life of the college—it changes how they see themselves. It tells them: You matter here. Your future matters here. We’re investing in you. 

I’ve seen that in a new way this year. My daughter is a first-year CBA student, and after just one semester, I can already see how much she’s gained—through her professors, the warmth and expectations of this community, and the way alumni show up to mentor and encourage students in real time. True to form, the dean has personally challenged her to think about how to make the most of her experience. That kind of leadership radiates outward—and it’s made a meaningful impact on my daughter’s LMU journey.

It’s also why it felt perfectly fitting that CBA’s Centennial Year kicked off publicly with a partner-centered event at SoFi Stadium, hosted with Office Beacon—bringing together CBA and business leaders to mark this milestone and recommit to the work ahead. And in true LMU style,the commemorative “#26” jersey now in the Dean’s Suite says something powerful without a long explanation: relationships matter, partnerships matter, and legacy is built together.

LMU President Thomas Poon and LMU CBA Dean Dayle Smith celebrate CBA’s 100th anniversary with LMU and Office Beacon teams at SoFi Stadium.

That’s what preparing “future leaders” looks like at LMU: not just teaching business, but forming people.

Celebrate CBA: shaping the next century

A centennial is a milestone, but it’s also an invitation.

We’re all invited—students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, partners, and friends—to take part in this extraordinary year. Visit the Centennial website, explore the stories, and check the Centennial Events calendar. Come celebrate with us throughout 2026.

Here’s to the next century of Business for Good.

#CBAStrong,
John

Bonus! Excerpted from the LMU CBA Centennial Website

Prof. Fred Kiesner with students in 1985—an early embodiment of CBA’s entrepreneurial spirit and people-first approach.