Jack Brittain, Salt Lake City, Utah: an interview by Anne Peterson, 2 November 2011

Transcript (72, 53 pages) of an interview by Anne Peterson with University of Utah business professor and former dean Jack Brittain on 2 November, 2011 and 13 January 2012. Part of the University Oral History Project, Everett Cooley Collection tape numbers U-3095 and U-3122

Jack Brittain (b. 1953) was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado and was raised in California. He discusses his early family life and his family´s educational background. He talks about going to school in San Jose, the teachers that were critical to his development, and his passion for math and science. He describes his involvement with the Junior Achievement program. After high school he went to Berkeley where he graduated with a triple major in operations research, quantitative analysis and business management. Jack talks about the different jobs he had while attending Berkeley, and his involvement with the social and political trends at Berkeley. After graduating he went on to study for an MBA at Berkeley where he eventually earned his doctorate. Jack describes the business environment in California and the rise of Silicon Valley. Jack has worked at the University of Texas at Austin and in Arizona and Dallas before being hired as dean of the business school at the University of Utah. Jack talks about the opportunities and challenges he faced in his new position. He describes his involvement with the university venture fund in 2005 and with the Lassonde New Venture Development Center. In his second interview, Jack talks about the process of hiring new business teachers at the University of Utah. He describes the business school´s involvement with information systems studies. Jack discusses his involvement with the Christensen Center. He talks about his push for an engaged student movement. He discusses his fundraising efforts and his relationships with donors. Jack talks about his administration and the people he worked with at the University of Utah that were integral to his projects. Jack later worked half-time as dean and half-time as vice president for technology transfer. He talks about the process of commercializing research at the university.