OXFORD, Miss. – During 34 years at the University of Mississippi, Dale Flesher has spent his fair share of time in the classroom teaching accounting principles and mentoring students. He also has carved out a legacy of research and writing, which includes some 50 books and more than 300 articles published in over 100 different professional journals throughout the world.
Flesher, professor and Arthur Andersen Alumni Lecturer in the Patterson School of Accountancy, recently added another career accolade. He has been named the fourth recipient of UM’s Distinguished Research and Creative Achievement Award.
The award, including $7,500 and a personal plaque, was presented during UM’s commencement ceremony Saturday (May 14) by Alice Clark, vice chancellor for research and sponsored programs.
“The award was created to recognize and pay tribute to a faculty member whose career and achievements have generated national and international accolades; someone who has been a leader in his chosen field, who has inspired and encouraged others, who is admired and respected by his peers and who has made outstanding lifelong contributions to his profession and to our institution,” Clark said.
“Dr. Dale Flesher has done all of this and more. An empowering mentor and committed teacher, he is also one of the most prolific contributors to his field. He is renowned for his sustained research and publishing, qualities that have cultivated an outstanding reputation for the School of Accountancy at Ole Miss.”
Reflecting on being chosen for the award, Flesher said, “My initial thought was that, like the Oscars, it was an honor just to be nominated, but now I realize that it is better to win. The three previous winners are individuals for whom I have the utmost respect, so it is an honor to follow in their footsteps.”
Flesher also serves as the accountancy school’s associate dean and coordinator of all graduate programs. Since serving on his first doctoral committee in 1981, he has been the dissertation chair for more than 20 doctoral students and as a committee member for more than 20 others.
When Flesher was presented with the 2005 Thomas J. Burns Biographical Research Award at the Academy of Accountant Historians Hall of Fame Conference, it was noted that “Dr. Flesher has done more biographical research and publishing than anyone in the field of accounting.”
His numerous history books include the 50th anniversary history of the Institute of Internal Auditors and the 75th anniversary history of the American Accounting Association, as well as books on the history of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. He has had five tax books published by Commerce Clearing House, and he recently published a book on the history of the Ole Miss accountancy program.
Flesher is a member of many professional organizations, including the American Institute of CPAs, Mississippi Society of CPAs, American Taxation Association, Institute of Internal Auditors, Association of Government Accountants, Institute of Management Accountants, American Accounting Association and the Academy of Accounting Historians, which he served as international president in 1988. He served as editor of The Accounting Historians Journal from 1989 through 1994. He previously edited the Accounting Historians Notebook for 10 years.
Flesher’s stellar reputation is known to have helped bring the American Institute of CPA’s library to the Oxford campus, creating one of the world’s best and largest accounting research resources. He was also instrumental in establishing UM’s Tax History Research Center, Electronic Data Processing Auditing Archival Center and the McMickle Rare Book Library.
As recipient of the Distinguished Research and Creative Achievement Award, Flesher said he feels that the accountancy school should share in the honor.
“I think that not only am I being honored, but also the whole Patterson School of Accountancy, because this is where I have blossomed over the past 34 years. Although I have taught at the collegiate level for 43 years, it has been here where I have been given the freedom to work on projects of my own choosing.
“Beyond the School of Accountancy, I am also indebted to the university’s J. D. Williams Library for the resources that makes any research easier. Having the greatest accountancy library in the world across the street from my office means that there is a constant stream of visitors seeking the use of our rare holdings. Often I end up working on research projects with those visitors.”
Flesher joined the Ole Miss faculty in 1977, following four years at Appalachian State University. He received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ball State University, and he holds a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Cincinnati.
Flesher is married to Tonya K. Flesher, who is the Arthur Andersen professor of accountancy at Ole Miss. They are the parents of one son and one daughter.
The annual Distinguished Research and Creative Achievement Award is sponsored by Pharmaceutics International Inc., whose CEO, Syed Abidi, is a UM alumnus. The inaugural recipient of the award, in 2008, was Sam Shu-Yi Wang, F.A.P. Barnard Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Larry A. Walker, director of the National Center for Natural Products Research, was the 2009 recipient, and last year, the award went to Charles Reagan Wilson, the Kelly Gene Cook Chair of History and professor of Southern studies.