Smith Terps Learn about Innovation in Hershey

Can you recall the last time you consumed a Hershey’s Kiss, a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, or a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar? As you enjoyed it, did you stop to consider the achievements and failures of the entrepreneur who made it possible to buy those products?

Last weekend, two bus-loads of freshmen from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business traveled to Hershey, Pa., to learn not only about the Hershey company, but about Milton Hershey – the man, the entrepreneur and the philanthropist – whose contributions created a sustainable, mutually beneficial social contract between business and community.

The students are all members of the Business, Society and the Economy (BSE) program in the College Park Scholars living-learning community. The day-long field trip on Sept. 20, 2015, was structured by BSE Director Mark Wellman, clinical professor of management and organization, as a team learning adventure.  Students were challenged to gain insight about the keys to innovation by exploring the work of Mr. Hershey at the Hershey Story Museum, the Milton Hershey School, and lastly, at Hershey Park. 

The town itself is unique. Some of the people in the city still feel a strong connection to Mr. Hershey, even long after his death in 1945. People who never met him ask, “What would Mr. Hershey do?” as if he is a spiritual figure. Unlike many of his wealthier contemporaries, such as Henry Ford, Hershey did not just make a fortune and reshape the American economy and society. Hershey dedicated this fortune to creating a perfect town and school.

The students are expected to bring back the ideas, insight, and evidence collected throughout the day for the semester’s final deliverable, their personal creativity reflection (PCR). 

For more information about the Scholars and the BSE program, go to: College Park Scholars, BSE program.

- Claudia Donnelly, Office of Global Initiatives