John Chambers
Businessman/Philanthropist
San José State University
John Chambers is the chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems, a multinational networking corporation located in Silicon Valley, and a strong supporter of education. Widely regarded as a visionary leader, John Chambers' extraordinary achievements in business and his leadership in education, public service and philanthropy exemplify the ideals of the California State University.
Under John Chambers' leadership, Cisco Systems has been an important partner to San José State University since 1995. In 2009-2010, Cisco was the top employer of SJSU graduates. In 2001, Cisco established the SJSU Cisco Networking Lab, which provides students and faculty in business, engineering and science the opportunity to study state-of-the-art networking technology. Mr. Chambers has served two American presidents, most recently as vice chairman of the George W. Bush National Infrastructure Advisory Council and the George W. Bush Transition Team and Education Committee; and on President Bill Clinton's Trade Policy Committee.
John Chambers has been recognized for philanthropic leadership, having received the U.S. State Department's top Award for Corporate Excellence twice, in 2010 and 2005. He also received the first-ever Clinton Global Citizen Award from President Clinton, and has been awarded the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship. His other numerous honors include the 2012 Bower Award for Business Leadership from the Franklin Institute, and being named one of Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People" and one of BusinessWeek's "Top 25 Executives Worldwide."
In recognition of his extraordinary achievements in business, education, public service and philanthropy, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and San José State University are proud to confer upon John Chambers the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.