Business Alumnus Mihaylo
To Receive Honorary Doctorate
Inter-Tel CEO will be honored during
this year's commencement celebration with an honorary doctorate
of humane letters in recognition of his success as a business
leader and a philanthropist.
May 11, 2005 :: No. 204
By Pamela McLaren
Steven G. Mihaylo graduated
from Cal State Fullerton in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree
in business administration and a dream of creating a business
of his own. More than 35 years later, his company, Inter-Tel,
has become the one of the world’s largest providers
of business telephone systems.
But the entrepreneur believes that to be successful
is more than just building an international corporation —
it’s giving back to those institutions that have helped
along the way.
Mihaylo will be honored at this year’s
commencement ceremonies with an honorary doctorate of humane
letters in recognition of his success as a business leader
and philanthropist.
“Mr. Mihaylo is a self-made entrepreneur
in the best tradition of American business. Starting from
humble origins but with a keen business acumen and rugged
determination, he created Inter-Tel in 1969,” noted
Anil Puri, dean of the College of Business and Economics.
“He has guided and led the company in an intensely competitive
industry full of giant international corporations and small
and hungry young rivals, and made Inter-Tel the national leader
in the business communications industry in the middle sector
and an emerging force in the large corporate sector.”
The honorary doctorate, awarded jointly by
the campus and the California State University, is conferred
in recognition of excellence and extraordinary achievement
in significant areas of human endeavors. Mihaylo is the third
CSUF alumnus to be recognized in this manner, joining award-winning
mystery novelist Elizabeth George (M.S. counseling ’79)
and international businessman Gareth C.C. Chang (B.A. mathematics
’65) who were honored in 2004 and 2001, respectively.
“Mr. Mihaylo epitomizes the promise of
a California State University graduate: hardworking, entrepreneurial,
ethical and committed to giving back to the community,”
said President Milton A. Gordon. “He is an extraordinary
gentleman and business leader.”
Mihaylo, 61, caught the entrepreneurial bug
early in life, selling newspapers for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner.
When he joined the U.S. Army at 17, he earned extra money
by tailoring uniforms while at Fort Ord, and later, attended
Army radio and radar technicians school at Fort Gordon in
Georgia.
After three years in the service, Mihaylo joined
Western Electric and later worked for Douglas Aircraft and
Panoramic Audio while attending college. Although offered
an accounting position with Arthur Young following graduation
from Cal State Fullerton, Mihaylo took a different route and
moved to Phoenix, where he established the fledgling Inter-Tel
as a division of Panoramic.
Ten years later, Inter-Tel was an independent
company with annual sales of $7.8 million. By 1994, the company
had broken the $100 million revenue mark, and this year is
expected to reach $500 million in sales.
“I was able to do what I did in large
part because of the education that I received at Cal State
Fullerton,” he said about developing Inter-Tel. “I
believe that everything that I did my entire life led to starting
Inter-Tel and working to get it where it is today.”
True to his belief that it is important to
give back, Mihaylo has made financial contributions to such
far-flung organizations as Junior Achievement, juvenile diabetes
research and his high school alma mater, Big Bear High School
in Big Bear Lake.
Last year, he pledged $3 million toward a new
College of Business and Economics building that will bear
his name. It is the largest pledge of cash in Cal State Fullerton
history.
“Over the years, I have been grateful
for the education that I received at California State University,
Fullerton and for the opportunities that I was afforded,”
said Mihaylo. “It is my honor and privilege to support
the College of Business and Economics and to be a part of
an environment where all students have the opportunity to
succeed.”
Media Contact: Pamela McLaren
of Public Affairs at 657-278-4852 or pmclaren@fullerton.edu
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