University of Virginia Library

Alumnus Earns Award For CPA Rank

John W. White, a 1970 graduate of the
University has scored the highest grade in
the nation on the Certified Public Accountant
examination given last May.

Mr. White, who took the examination
along with 21,000 other candidates
throughout the country, also received
the gold medal award for the highest
score in Virginia from the State Society
of Certified Public Accountants.

He will receive the Elijah Watt Sells
gold medal for the best score in the
nation from the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants in New York on Monday,
September 21.

An honor graduate who stood first in his

class at the University McIntire School of
Commerce, Mr. White is the third consecutive
student from the University to win the State
award, but the first to win the national award.

As an undergraduate, he was president of
the School of Commerce, an Echols Scholar
and a member of several honorary societies
including Omicron Delta Kappa, The Raven
Society and Beta Gamma Sigma, a business
honorary. He plans to begin law school this fall
at New York University.

Honorable Mention

Ronald Seay of Richmond received one of
28 honorable mention awards given for outstanding
scores on the exam. Also a June
graduate in Commerce, Mr. Seay was a member
of Beta Gamma Sigma, and is now employed
with a Richmond firm.

The Certified Public Accountant examination
is a uniform test given twice a year, while
the awards for high grades were established by
the American Institute.

Accountants, who have traditionally been
the people who keep the nations financial
records straight, are now beginning to work in
such areas as computing the costs of pollution
and aid for disadvantaged small businessman.

Accountants are doing "a lot of things
they've never done before and accounting
education programs ought to make some
attempt to anticipate what will be needed in
the future," said Paul E. Fertig of the
Virginia Tech faculty.

Mr. Welsch added that accountants could
measure costs against benefits in solving
pollution problems in plants. Benefits are "far
beyond the company... These projects can be
evaluated on their economic feasibility."

Challenges in Accounting

"We're concerned with challenges facing
accounting in terms of the changes facing
society," said Glenn A. Welsh, accounting
professor at the University.

Speaking before the annual meeting of
Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants,
Mr. Welsch added that "social accounting"
has come into the profession. It deals with
"how accounting can help resolve pollution and
ecology problems by measuring inputs and
outputs and the efficiency of a program.

Another area of "increasing reliance" on
accountants is small business where general
management consultation and advice is sought.