July 21, 1918—Feb. 19, 1980
His motto: “No person is handicapped if he has the right job.” His mission: to pioneer a workplace of accessibility.
Michael Supa ’40 was hired by IBM at just 24 years old, and he institutionalized the company’s commitment to people with disabilities. A psychologist who was blind, Supa drove IBM’s accessibility initiatives and aided in the creation of more adaptable products. He strengthened the company’s culture of diversity, creating a formal program for recruiting and training people with disabilities. During his first two years on the job, he coordinated the hiring of hundreds of people with disabilities.
“[He was] known for his formidable intellect and sunny outlook,” IBM noted in an article published on its website. “During his tenure, the company opened a New York City training center for the disabled, subcontracted work to sheltered workshops, and expanded its benefits plan to cover disabilities.”
With Supa’s help, IBM empowered young people with disabilities through a suite of outreach efforts. A number of these activities aimed to educate youth with disabilities about the opportunities available to them in science and technology.
Before earning his master’s degree at Cornell University in 1941, Supa studied sociology at Colgate. A member of Alpha Tau Omega, Maroon Key, and Banter, he was well known on campus — as was his Seeing Eye dog.
“[Supa] mixes in all campus affairs, always accompanied by his faithful ‘seeing dog,’ his police dog Taffy,” the New York Times penned in a 1936 feature story on Supa and his success as a student at Colgate. “He became ‘one of the crowd’ and by his good humor and graciousness has won many friends. [His] hearing is so keen that he seldom fails to identify any person after he had heard his voice once. Thus, when he is being addressed he usually replies by calling the person by his first name.”
Supa’s perseverance and popularity were commemorated in the July 1940 edition of Colgate Alumni News. He graduated as valedictorian of his class. “[The] biggest ovation from the packed Chapel was for Michael ‘Mike’ Supa,” Colgate Alumni News published in a commencement article.
He was honored with a Citation for Meritorious Service from the U.S. President’s Committee on Employment of the Handicapped in 1958, and he demonstrated the reading of Braille for President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Supa remained at IBM throughout his career; he was working as an equal opportunity administrator when he died at age 61. He left behind a legacy of empowerment.