Dan McCarthy retired from Northeastern University this past June after 52 years of service at the D'Amore-McKim School of Business. A University Distinguished professor and Alan S. McKim and Richard A. D'Amore Distinguished Professor of Global Management and Innovation, McCarthy made a lasting impact on thousands of students, faculty, and staff.
As co-founder and co-director of the Northeastern University Center for Entrepreneurship Education, and co-founder and co-director of the McCarthy(s) Venture Mentoring Network, his dedication to helping shape and grow Northeastern's entrepreneurial ecosystem can be seen everywhere.
McCarthy earned his bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College in 1954, his MBA from Dartmouth in 1955, and a doctoral degree in business administration from Harvard University in 1963. He began to teach part-time at Northeastern in 1961 while finishing his thesis. He returned to the university in 1964 as a professor of management and director of the Graduate School of Business Administration. McCarthy went on to found his own high-tech startup, then ultimately returned to campus again to teach, leaving only to serve as a visiting professor at institutions around the world.
“I used my international background to help identify with international students. Talking about business in other parts of the world also gave my domestic students a broader view of the field,” said McCarthy.
McCarthy will miss his relationships with students the most as a retired member of the teaching community. He mentored Richard D'Amore, BA'76, and Alan McKim, MBA'88 during their time as students. After introducing them to each other in 2005, the two decided to make the largest philanthropic investment in university history, a $60 million naming gift to the business school.
“A half dozen years ago, the entrepreneurial ecosystem was simply an idea. Today it is real and vibrant and internationally recognized,” said Marc Meyer, co-director of the Center for Entrepreneurship Education. “The courses, co-ops, the mentorship programs—Dan has been at the core of all of these.”
McCarthy has expressed interest in continuing his roles in IDEA, the school's student-run venture accelerator, the McCarthy(s) Venture Mentoring Network and the Northeastern University Center for Entrepreneurship Education.
“I have three Ivy League degrees, but I'd trade them all to be at Northeastern,” he said. “I love this place.”