Luella Gross Goldberg ’58

Luella Gross Goldberg ‘58 has led a distinguished and pioneering career as a corporate director and civic leader. In 2001, she was named the first American to the Board of Directors of the ING Group in the Netherlands, the tenth largest publicly traded company worldwide at the time. Luella’s service as a corporate director began in 1976, when she became the first female director of insurance giant Northwestern National Life Insurance Company (later acquired by ING). Over the next thirty years, Luella served on the Boards of ten different corporations, among them TCF Financial, Communications Systems, and Hormel Foods. Luella was the first woman to serve as Chair of the Board of the Minnesota Orchestra (1980-1983) and now serves as a Life Director.

Luella served as Chair of the Board of the Wellesley College Trustees from 1985–1993, after which she became Acting President of the College from July 1 until October 1, 1993. She is now a Trustee Emerita. Luella was also the first woman to serve as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the University of Minnesota Foundation, and continues her service there as a Life Trustee. She served on the Advisory Board to the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota for 34 years and the school established a Luella G. Goldberg Fellowship in her honor.

Luella was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Minnesota. She was also awarded the Governor’s Leadership Award for the State of Minnesota, the National Conference of Christians and Jews Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service, as well as the Wellesley College Alumnae Achievement Award. Luella and her husband, Dr. Stanley Goldberg, have two Wellesley daughters, Ellen Goldberg Luger ’83 and Martha Goldberg Aronson ’89, both of whom have served as president of the Wellesley College Alumnae Association and as trustees of the College. She has served as an Albright Institute Ambassador since the Institute’s beginning.