FATHERS AS ROLE MODELS

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FATHERS AS ROLE MODELS

Fathers as a Role Models

Stewart and Adams knew each other through the Harvard Business School alumni networks, but until they began researching their book, they hadn’t known how much their personal histories overlapped. Both women consider their fathers to have been major role models during their childhoods. Sadly, both women lost their fathers while they were in college. Stewart was a freshman. Adams was a senior. In a strange twist of fate, both men died at age 47 of the same disease, heart disease.

As a result of their early losses, the authors chose to include a question in the survey about the impact of parents on children’s success. Most respondents said their mothers were major role models. But the findings were striking when the question turned to fathers. African American and LatinX women, whose fathers were strong role models, said they were more likely to earn more money. Women of all races, who cited the strong influence of fathers, were 15% more likely to have earned a college degree or more.