Black History Month
/Black History Month is an important time for us to celebrate the great contributions and achievements of Black Americans. We’d like to recognize a few African American professionals who have advanced in the field of accounting and CPA licensure., including our own William "Bill" Miller Jr.
1921 - John Cromwell Jr., First Black CPA in America
In 1921, John W. Cromwell, Jr., became the first black American to earn a CPA designation. He graduated from Dartmouth in 1906 and completed his master's degree there a year later. After John graduated, he returned to Washington D.C. his home, and became a math teacher at one of the most prestigious black high schools in the country at the time, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School.
In 1921, legislation was passed in New Hampshire which enabled CPA candidates to earn their certificate without previous experience in a CPA firm. This had previously limited opportunity for those without experience to the CPA profession. Cromwell took the exam in New Hampshire and he became a CPA.
While practicing accountancy in Washington DC, John W. Cromwell, Jr. continued to teach high school. He mostly within the Black community, serving other professionals, churches, funeral homes, and restaurants. He became comptroller of Howard University in 1930. At the time of his retirement in 1956, he was still the only Black CPA in DC.
1943 - Mary Thelma Washington, First African American Woman to earn a CPA
Mary started as a bank assistant at one of the nation's largest African American-owned banks, Binga State Bank. In 1941 she received her B.A. in Business from Northwestern University. She started an accounting firm in her basement while she was still a student at Northwestern.
Mary T. Washington-Wylie earned her CPA license in 1943 and became the first black woman CPA and the 13th African American CPA. She founded Washington, Pittman & McKeever in 1968, one of the largest black CPA firms in the country and worked as a CPA until the age of 79 when she retired. The great Muhammed Ali was one of Mary's clients.
Mary passed away in 2005, at the age of 99. She was an important figure in the African American business community and led the way for African Americans to pursue careers in accounting and finance.
2003 – William "Bill" Miller Jr., First Black President of MSL CPAs
In 2003, Bill Miller, Jr. became our firm's first black president. Bill truly set a great example for excellence for our firm and adroitly maneuvered MSL through changing economic cycles while expanding the business, improving client services, and maintaining profitability. In 1988, Bill was recognized by his alma mater Florida A & M University, and the student chapter of The National Association of Black Accountants as the university's first graduate of the School of Business and Industry to attain the position of partner in a public accounting firm.
Bill Miller, Jr. has more than 35 years of public accounting experience and has been a constant and trusted source of advice for his clients, encouraging them to challenge their business philosophies to become more successful and achieve their goals. He has vast experience in accounting, auditing, reporting, and a concentration of knowledge in assurance services, public and private enterprises, initial public offerings, sec filings, professional service firms, hospitality industry, and manufacturing.
2016 - Kimberly Ellison-Taylor, First African American Female Chairperson of the
AICPA Board of Directors
Kimberly N. Ellison-Taylor, global accounting strategy director for Oracle America, was installed as the first African American female chairperson of the AICPA board of directors in 2016. Ellison-Taylor is an accomplished and influential leader in the continually evolving fields of cybersecurity, big data, and assurance and advisory services.
During her acceptance speech, she said that “Being a CPA changed my life, for many of you—particularly if you’re a first-generation CPA like me—it probably changed yours, as well.” Kimberly is committed to changing lives, opening up the world of possibilities for the next generation, and developing future leaders. She encourages fellow CPAs to share lessons learned, successes, and failures if they have the opportunity to do so with our next leaders.
