Walker College of Business

• The William R. Holland Fellows program was established to provide students opportunities to learn about doing business in Asia in partnership with students and faculty at Fudan University in Shanghai, China.

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• In 2015, the Walker College hosts its first annual Business for Good Conference.
• In 2016, the Walker College presented the inaugural Green E award to Dr. Heather Norris, Dean of the Walker College of Business. The Green-E award recognizes individuals for outstanding accomplishments in the area of sustainable business at Appalachian.

App State's focus on international education continued with Dr. Francis T. Borkowski (1936-2025), who entered his chancellorship with a respectful vision: to create a distinctive learning environment sensitive to rapid world changes, such as technology and globalization, yet rooted in mountain values and App State's tradition of teaching, scholarship, and service.

• In 1992, the Walker College was the first institution in the state to offer an insurance major. The Richard S. Brantley Risk and Insurance Center had been established in 1988.
• The Joseph F. Freeman Professorship in insurance became the first fully funded endowed professorship in the college. The first endowed faculty chair was established in Commercial Banking in the college in 1977. The professorship was established by the Freeman family and friends and colleagues in the insurance industry in memory of the late Joseph (Joe) F. Freeman III. His father, Joseph F.

Dr. Kenneth E. Peacock, became the fifth Dean of the Walker College of Business. During Dr. Peacock's tenure, the Dean's Club, an annual giving society that supports key programming, students and faculty in the college was founded. Dr. Peacock later became Appalachian's sixth chancellor and, in June 2014, Raley Hall would be renamed Peacock Hall in his honor.

• Faculty and staff moved into the new college of business building, opened in 1990. The 130,000 square-foot, four-story building is in the middle of the Appalachian's campus. It was named and dedicated in honor of Thelma C. Raley in 1993. Thelma Raley realized a lifelong ambition when she completed her studies and received a Bachelor's degree in English from Appalachian in December 1992 at the age of 80. She made a substantial financial commitment to the Walker College of Business.

• Dr. Grant M. Davis became the fourth Dean of the Walker College of Business.
• In 1990, under Dr. Davis' leadership, new admissions standards were adopted requiring a minimum 2.5 GPA for entry in to the College of Business.

• The Walker College started hosting the Boyles Distinguished Lecture Series in 1988. Throughout the history of this series, the college has brought industry experience to campus, which has allowed students first-hand exposure to influential leaders of business. In 2004, the second floor lobby or Raley Hall would be dedicated to and named for the memory of Harlan E. Boyles. 

The college began offering a BSBA in Restaurant, Hotel, and Resort Management, in 1985, which was renamed to Hospitality Management in 1987.

• The first summer study abroad trip to France was conducted.