Melancon named to Accounting Hall of Fame

Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, who retired as CEO of AICPA & CIMA in December, will be inducted into the Accounting Hall of Fame by the American Accounting Association (AAA).

Melancon will be among four new members inducted at the AAA annual meeting in Chicago in August. The others are David R. Bean, Terry Shevlin, and Mary Washington Wylie.

Melancon guided the AICPA for almost three decades, a tenure that included the 2017 formation of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.

“His legacy as one of the most influential and forward-thinking figures in the history of accounting is unquestionably established,” the Accounting Hall of Fame said in a news release.

Also, Melancon will join Baker Tilly in a dual role, as an adviser for the firm’s U.S. branch and as non-executive director and chair-elect of the Baker Tilly International board of directors.

“The accounting profession is at a pivotal moment, and Baker Tilly is positioned to help shape its future in meaningful ways,” Melancon said in a news release. “Throughout my career, I’ve been driven by a passion for innovation and the advancement of our profession.”

Before joining the AICPA as CEO in 1995, Melancon served for eight years as executive director of the Society of Louisiana CPAs.

Melancon was named the National Association Executive of the Year in 2011 and was given Forbes‘ first Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.

Bean, a pioneering figure in governmental accounting, was the longtime director of research and technical activities at GASB.

Shevlin, one of the most prolific accounting researchers of his generation, spent more than 35 years working in accounting higher education.

Wylie, inducted posthumously, became the first Black female CPA in the country. A 2021 JofA article detailed Wylie’s life and impact on the profession.

To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Kevin Brewer at Kevin.Brewer@aicpa-cima.com.