An Assessment of Dr. William L. Campfield’s Contributions to Diversifying Accounting Education and Practice

Abstract:     
In 1951, William L. Campfield became the first African American CPA/Ph.D. Through a practitioner-in-residence program for government executives he helped create, he was able to spend nearly half his fifty year career in practice and the other in academe. He served as VP of the American Accounting Association, on faculty of over 20 universities, and authored over 100 articles. In 1986, he retired from Florida International University as a full professor and died shortly thereafter. As of 2005, he remains the 21st (and top African American) most prolific publisher in The Accounting Review. The primary purpose of this manuscript is not only to highlight his achievements, but also to perpetuate his legacy. This manuscript complements extant literature on the contributions of African Americans to the accounting profession by describing Dr. Campfield’s life and contributions to accounting research and practice.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 25

Keywords: Diversity, William Campfield, Internal Audit

JEL Classification: M49, N40

working papers series