George
Rupp, who became the 18th President of Columbia University in July
1993, announced Saturday, March 3, that he will step down from his
post in the summer of 2002.
“I
have decided that next year will be my last as Columbia’s president,”
said Rupp. “I am announcing my intention to resign now in order
to allow time for an orderly succession. The actual transition will
take place in the summer of 2002.”
Stephen
Friedman, Chair of the Columbia Trustees, said, “George accomplished
everything the Trustees hoped for and more. The University is in
great shape and has strong momentum, and he built a first-class
team.”
“We
are fortunate that Trustee Henry King agreed to chair a search committee.
Henry chaired the committee that brought George to us and so we
are following the simple theory of backing a proven winner.”
In
addressing the March 3 meeting of the Columbia Trustees, Rupp reviewed
some of the University’s important accomplishments:
“We
have positioned Columbia as a leader in Internet-enhanced education
and research.
“We have raised the University’s profile in New York City and significantly
improved relations with our immediate neighbors in Morningside Heights,
Harlem, and Washington Heights.
“We
have emphasized the global dimension of Columbia’s work and we continue
to develop our role in international education and research.
“We
have sought to provide members of the Columbia community with a
quality of life worthy of our great intellectual traditions and
to engender a feeling of pride among our alumni, both in the United
States and around the world.
“As
for my own future, I have no definite plans. After what will have
been 25 years as either dean or president, I would certainly welcome
the opportunity to return to the teaching and writing I intended
to pursue when I first became a faculty member. Should I remain
at Columbia, I would especially enjoy teaching, among other courses,
Contemporary Civilization in the Core Curriculum. But at this point,
I will not rule out other options that might develop in the course
of the coming year — except to note that I will not become the president
of another university.”
Prior
to coming to Columbia, Rupp served as president of Rice University
and dean of the Harvard Divinity School.
Rupp
was awarded the A.B. from Princeton, the B.D. from Yale, the Ph.D.
from Harvard, and the honorary Doctor of Letters from Columbia.
He has studied and conducted research for extended periods in both
Europe and Asia, and is the author of four books, including Beyond
Existentialism and Zen: Religion in a Pluralistic World, and Commitment
and Community. Rupp is a native of New Jersey. He and his wife,
Nancy, are the parents of two adult daughters.
