Charles T. Horngren

Charles (Chuck) T. Horngren, 1943 graduate of Marquette University, has impacted academe and professional practice through his work in financial and managerial accounting. Upon completion of his PhD at the University of Chicago, he taught at Marquette University, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and the University of Chicago. He also spent 30 years teaching at Stanford University, where he was the Edmund W. Littlefield Professor of Accounting.

Horngren’s impact is evidenced by his involvement in professional organizations, such as the Accounting Principles Board (1968–73), the Financial Accounting Standards Board Advisory Board Council (1976–80), and the Institute of Management Accountants – Board of Regents (1981–84). Horngren also served as the president (1976–77) and director of research (1964–66) of the American Accounting Association (AAA) and served on several AAA committees.

Horngren has published more than 50 articles, including several in The Accounting Review, and he has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Accounting Research. His impact on academe is best summarized in a recent Accounting Review article (May 2015, p. 877) by Professor William Beaver of Stanford University: “The contribution of Chuck Horngren to my career and that of others is enormous and is an entire topic in and of itself.”

In addition to his widespread scholarly publication, Horngren has also received many accolades for his textbook, Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis (1962), for its widespread impact in the field of accounting. Professor Stephen Zeff notes that the book “almost by itself … changed the field” (Accounting Education News 2012). While Horngren coauthored other financial and managerial accounting textbooks, the current edition of his 1962 text continues to be used throughout the world. Horngren's work has had the most impact in the areas of innovation and business. His Cost Accounting textbook significantly influenced management accounting and has been one of the leading textbooks in this area since 1962.

Horngren has received numerous honors, including the AAA Outstanding Educator, and he was the first recipient of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Outstanding Accounting Educator Award. The Journal of Accountancy ranked him as one of the top 125 people who have made a significant impact on the accounting profession since 1887. His support of education continues as he and his wife, Joan, have endowed professorships at both Marquette University and Stanford University.