UND Renames Accountancy Program to Honor Henry & Judee Herr

Herr School of Accountancy will be first named School of Accountancy in Upper Midwest

The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education has voted to elevate UND’s Department of Accounting & Information Systems to a School of Accountancy and to name it after Henry and Judee Herr.

“The elevation of the UND Nistler College of Business & Public Administration Department of Accountancy and Information Systems to the Herr School of Accountancy allows us to house the first named School of Accountancy in the Upper Midwest, further advancing our level of distinction among our peers,” said Nistler College of Business & Public Administration Dean Amy Henley.

The Herr School of Accountancy will offer a foundation for outreach and leadership in the state and region through financial wellness programs, efforts across the state to adapt education in response to a changing CPA exam model, and interdisciplinary collaboration possibilities with other academic disciplines at UND.

“Henry is the ideal alum,” said DeAnna Carlson Zink, CEO of the UND Alumni Association & Foundation. “Not only can you hold up his business success as a shining example of what can be accomplished with a UND degree in hand, but his philanthropic spirit is even more inspiring. Henry and his wife, Judee, personify the very essence of what it means to give back and make a positive impact on the world.”

Henry Herr is an accountant and businessman who earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting from UND in 1968 and 1971. Herr was selected for UND’s Accounting Hall of Fame in 2011, received the Sioux Award for Distinguished Achievement & Leadership in 2015, and received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from UND in 2022. Herr’s career as a businessman, following his professional start in accounting, saw him build companies that transformed the health care landscape.

“Judee and I are so pleased that the Department of Accounting & Information Systems has been elevated to the School of Accountancy in recognition of the rich legacy of accounting education provided to UND students over many decades,” said Henry Herr. “We are also humbled and very honored to have our name associated with the program that played a significant role in my career as it has in many of the Department’s graduates. Current and past faculty, supportive alumni and leadership at all levels need to be congratulated on this well-deserved recognition.”

Born and raised in Bismarck, N.D., Herr served in the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division following his 1968 graduation from UND. After earning a Bronze Star for his service in the Vietnam War, Herr returned to UND for his master’s degree.

From UND, Herr went to Portland, Ore., to work for Arthur Young & Co., which is now known as Ernst & Young – one of the country’s largest public accounting firms. Herr went on to become an entrepreneurial leader in the industry and, together with his cofounders, developed a focus on investments in improving outcomes and reducing the cost of health care.

Herr helped to found Healthways in 1981 and AmSurg in 1992. As CFO, a member of each company’s board and an executive leader, he helped create thousands of jobs, serve millions of patients and grow the firms into companies with market capitalizations in the billions of dollars.

“When we speak of leaders in action at UND, there is no finer example than our highly accomplished and distinguished alum, Henry Herr, whose visionary leadership helped positively transform America’s health care industry,” said UND President Andrew Armacost.

“It is a fitting tribute and a well-deserved honor that we recognize Henry’s highly successful career – both as a business leader and as a philanthropist – by naming the School of Accountancy in the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration after him,” Armacost added.

“Henry’s devotion to UND, its students and its faculty, as well as his service to our nation and his many contributions to the health care industry, demonstrate what a kid from North Dakota with a solid education can accomplish in the world.”

The UND Accountancy program provides strategic skills and business experiences that are in high demand. Accredited by AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the Nistler College of Business & Public Administration is in the top 5% of business schools in the world.

“The prominence of this named school differentiates us from other accounting programs while recognizing our strong reputation and past accomplishments,” said Henley.

UND School of Accountancy Chair Kate Campbell agreed. “For decades, the Herrs have been both friends and supporters of our faculty and students,” Campbell said. “The elevation of our department to a School of Accountancy recognizes the caliber of our programs and our long legacy of excellence. Today, and in the future, the Herr name will inspire us to pursue excellence, be curious, act with integrity, build relationships, and support others.”

The NCoBPA is the largest business school in North Dakota and serves an average of 1,400 undergraduate students and 350 graduate students per year.

Article by UND Today