MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz and the Board of Trustees released a joint statement Sunday on Wharton’s death and his "profound influence" on the university. 

"But, so fittingly for a leader in higher education, his focus on developing people might be said to be his most outstanding legacy," the statement said. "He declared at the outset that, 'What is frequently required is not a pronouncement of leadership but rather encouragement of the individuals within the institution.' There are many who will attest to the impact of his focus on people, one of the many reasons he will long live in the hearts of Spartans."

Born in Boston, Massachusetts on Sept. 13, 1926, Wharton enrolled at Harvard University at the age of 16, where he received a bachelor’s degree in history. He later received a master's degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and an additional master's and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, according to MSU’s legacy page.

While he led MSU, the number of Rhodes Scholars increased, and two new colleges opened: the College of Urban Development and the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Wharton also oversaw the building of MSU’s first superconducting cyclotron, the creation of the MSU Foundation and the launch of its first capital campaign.

The capital campaign would eventually lead to the construction of the Clifton and Dolores Wharton Center for Performing Arts, Michigan’s largest performing arts center. In 1982, the MSU Board of Trustees named the center in honor of Wharton and his wife to honor their lasting impact and contributions to the MSU community. 

Wharton’s tenure at MSU also oversaw challenges such as student protests in response to the Vietnam War, an NCAA investigation into the MSU football program and fiscal budget cuts. Despite the challenges, Wharton strived to make MSU a community for everyone, stewarding efforts to broaden educational access at MSU and end discrimination on campus.  

Following the end of his tenure at MSU, Wharton became Chancellor of the State University of New York System, the first Black administrator to take charge of the largest university system in the United States. In 1982, Wharton became chairperson of the Rockefeller Foundation. Soon after that, he became CEO of pension and financial system TIAA-CREF, making him the first Black CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

In 1993, Wharton was chosen to serve as Deputy Secretary of State under the Bill Clinton administration, a position he held for a year. 

Wharton is survived by his wife of 74 years, Delores, and his son, Bruce. In lieu of flowers, Wharton’s family has established the Dr. Clifton and Delores Wharton Legacy Fund. Gifts to the fund will go toward the Wharton Center’s endowment fund for lasting support of the performing arts center.