{"id":208610,"date":"2024-12-27T11:29:23","date_gmt":"2024-12-27T21:29:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=208610"},"modified":"2024-12-27T11:29:23","modified_gmt":"2024-12-27T21:29:23","slug":"in-memoriam-richard-parsons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2024\/12\/27\/in-memoriam-richard-parsons\/","title":{"rendered":"In memoriam: Trailblazing business leader, UH<\/abbr> alum Richard Parsons"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Parsons served as the Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals in 2009. (Photo credit: UH<\/abbr> Foundation)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Richard Parsons, a University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa alumnus who became one of America\u2019s most prominent Black corporate executives, died December 26 at the age of 76. Parsons, who led both Time Warner and Citigroup during critical periods, died from complications related to multiple myeloma, according to media reports.<\/p>\n

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Richard Parsons (Photo credit: UH<\/abbr> Foundation)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Brooklyn, New York native\u2019s path to corporate leadership began at UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa, where he enrolled at age 16 and studied history<\/a> from 1964 to 1968.<\/p>\n

“I grew up on that campus (UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa) and it was a gorgeous place to go to college,” Parsons told UH<\/abbr>\u2019s M\u0101lamalama<\/em> magazine in 2003. “After Brooklyn, Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> was paradise on earth. The people were friendly, and the weather was always accommodating.”<\/p>\n

After attending UH<\/abbr> M\u0101noa alongside his future wife, Laura Bush Parsons, he enrolled at Albany Law School, where he ranked first in his class in 1971. His career trajectory included serving as a White House aide during the Ford administration before entering corporate leadership.<\/p>\n

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Parsons was commencement speaker in 2003.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As Time Warner\u2019s CEO<\/abbr> from 2002 to 2007, Parsons navigated the company through the troubled aftermath of its merger with AOL<\/abbr>. He later helped restore stability at Citigroup as chairman from 2009 to 2012, steering the bank through its recovery from the 2008 financial crisis. Parsons often credited his time in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> with helping to shape his approach to managing complex organizations.<\/p>\n