[1] Fitzhugh was born on October 31, 1909, in Washington, D.C.[2] He earned a full scholarship to Harvard at the age of sixteen while still a student at Dunbar High School.
Fitzhugh could not find work in his field and returned to his native Washington, D.C., to teach a business course at Howard University.
[3] This was only supposed to be a temporary position, but Fitzhugh continued teaching marketing and management at Howard University for 31 years.
"[7] The following year, Vice President Nelson A. Rockefeller presented Fitzhugh with a special black enterprise achievement award.
Fitzhugh was also a founding member and past president of the National Association of Market Developers, aimed at black consumers, and acted as a consultant for major corporations and, from 1975 to 1981, for the United States Census Bureau.