In Memoriam
Peter Thigpen
Continuing Lecturer in Business Administration
UC Berkeley
1939-2017
Peter Thigpen, who taught business ethics for 25 years in the University of California, Berkeley’s day and evening MBA programs in the Haas School of Business, passed away on November 5, 2017, after a short illness.
Thigpen was born on September 18, 1939, in Pasadena, California. He attended San Mateo High School and Stanford University, graduating in 1961 with a degree in economics. Thigpen enlisted in the Marine Corps Officers Program while at Stanford and rose to the rank of First Lieutenant. He worked as a radar intercept officer on F-4B fighter jets, catapulting on and off aircraft carriers. He also flew F-4 Phantom II jets. After being honorably discharged in 1964, he returned to Stanford where he received an MBA.
Thigpen joined Levi Strauss & Co. in 1967 and subsequently became president of the firm’s European division. He played a critical role in the firm’s growth in Europe and in 1982 became president of the firm’s American operations. After serving in several executive positions and on the company’s board, he retired in 1991.
In 1992, he began to work with Professor Emeritus David Vogel on designing and teaching a new MBA class on business ethics and corporate social responsibility. After this course became required, Thigpen taught two sections of the class every spring. Thigpen was a highly effective and well-appreciated classroom instructor, bringing his extensive business experiences to bear on the challenges of educating a new generation of business students on the importance of business ethics and the value of corporate social responsibility. He worked closely with Ernesto Dal Bó and David Vogel, the other Haas faculty who also taught sections of this class, regularly exchanging ideas about new pedagogical approaches.
Thigpen is survived by his wife Shelly, brothers Steve and Jeff (Mary Ellen), sons Craig (Sarah), Eric, Chad (Althea) and Zach, and grandchildren Lucas, Jacob, Camille, and Bryce. Zach graduated from the Haas MBA program in 2018.
David J. Vogel
2018
Thigpen was born on September 18, 1939, in Pasadena, California. He attended San Mateo High School and Stanford University, graduating in 1961 with a degree in economics. Thigpen enlisted in the Marine Corps Officers Program while at Stanford and rose to the rank of First Lieutenant. He worked as a radar intercept officer on F-4B fighter jets, catapulting on and off aircraft carriers. He also flew F-4 Phantom II jets. After being honorably discharged in 1964, he returned to Stanford where he received an MBA.
Thigpen joined Levi Strauss & Co. in 1967 and subsequently became president of the firm’s European division. He played a critical role in the firm’s growth in Europe and in 1982 became president of the firm’s American operations. After serving in several executive positions and on the company’s board, he retired in 1991.
In 1992, he began to work with Professor Emeritus David Vogel on designing and teaching a new MBA class on business ethics and corporate social responsibility. After this course became required, Thigpen taught two sections of the class every spring. Thigpen was a highly effective and well-appreciated classroom instructor, bringing his extensive business experiences to bear on the challenges of educating a new generation of business students on the importance of business ethics and the value of corporate social responsibility. He worked closely with Ernesto Dal Bó and David Vogel, the other Haas faculty who also taught sections of this class, regularly exchanging ideas about new pedagogical approaches.
Thigpen is survived by his wife Shelly, brothers Steve and Jeff (Mary Ellen), sons Craig (Sarah), Eric, Chad (Althea) and Zach, and grandchildren Lucas, Jacob, Camille, and Bryce. Zach graduated from the Haas MBA program in 2018.
David J. Vogel
2018
