CGU Rolls into Claremont’s 4th of July Parade with Toyota

Claremont’s annual 4th of July Parade will feature a special splash of CGU red as the university joins the festivities with a custom Centennial-themed ride.

The parade –– which begins at Memorial Park, continues down Indian Hill Boulevard, and concludes at Larkin Park –– is part of Claremont’s day-long Fourth of July festival, which also includes a special breakfast, a race, a flag-raising ceremony, a community BBQ, live performances, and a fireworks show to close out the celebration.

Leading the CGU procession will be Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management’s Dean Dave Sprott, driving a red Toyota Camry. The vehicle was generously provided by Claremont Toyota.

The Camry is a fitting choice, given that Shoichiro Toyoda — former Toyota chairman and disciple of Drucker’s philosophy — and CGU share not only a centennial milestone but a meaningful history as well.

Born in 1925, the same year CGU was established, Shoichiro Toyoda would go on to transform the global auto industry.

Under Toyoda’s leadership, Toyota expanded production across North America and beyond, launched the Lexus brand and the pioneering Prius hybrid, and introduced innovations like lean manufacturing and just-in-time inventory — practices now taught in business schools worldwide.

But Toyoda’s most lasting influence wasn’t just what he built — it was in how he led.

Deeply influenced by Peter Drucker’s teachings, Toyoda brought a human-centered philosophy to Toyota’s core. Drucker’s principles — decentralized decision-making, management by objectives, and the belief that leadership is a moral responsibility — not only guided Toyoda’s thinking, they helped define Toyota’s culture.

He didn’t just apply Drucker’s ideas, he embodied them. For Toyoda, effective management meant creating the conditions for people to thrive. Under his leadership, Toyota’s model of continuous improvement and collaborative problem-solving became a global standard of excellence.

In 2006, CGU recognized Toyoda’s extraordinary leadership and commitment to Drucker’s values by awarding him an honorary Doctor of Management degree. Today, he remains one of the most compelling real-world examples of Drucker’s philosophy in action.

We’re proud to celebrate that legacy as part of this year’s Fourth of July festivities, and we hope you’ll join us along the parade route as we mark 100 years of CGU’s impact in the Claremont community.