Dr. Sybil C. Mobley, founder of Florida A&M University’s School of Business and Industry, died early Tuesday morning. Dr. Mobley’s contributions to FAMU are certainly noteworthy, and she was a leader in the world of business as well.
Mobley was born Oct. 14, 1925 in Shreveport, La. Mobley obtained her bachelor’s from Bishop College ahead of entering the reputable Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia, Pa. After leaving Wharton with a master’s, Mobley attended the University of Illinois and became one of the few Black women in America to obtain her doctorate in accounting in 1963.
That same year, Mobley joined the faculty of FAMU and established a Leadership Program aimed at the top five ranked students across the nation. Mobley also juggled motherhood with her time as an educator, raising three children. Along with her work at FAMU, Mobley sat on the boards of several corporations including Anheuser-Busch, Champion, Sear’s, and Hershey’s among others.
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In 1974, Mobley became the founding dean of SBI. Before then, FAMU did not feature a school dedicated to business. Through Mobley’s dedication and efforts, it is recognized as one of the top institutions of its sort.
According to Mobley’s daughter, her mother was treated for a brief and unannounced illness while in Tallahassee.
“I told her she would never in her life be able to see the impact of her life on SBI and the business community,” said Mobley’s daughter, Janet Sermon, told the Tallahassee Democrat.
Mobley was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, and holds an honorary degree from the University of Pennsylvania among other honors.
