Cornell selects new president

On July 1, 1995, University President Judith Rodin will mark the end of her first year as a leader in the Ivy League. But the transition period will be just the beginning for current University of Iowa President Hunter Rawlings, who is slated to assume the top job at Cornell University on that date. Rawlings, a classics professor who has also taught and served in various administrative capacities at the University of Colorado at Boulder, was appointed Cornell's 10th president at a special meeting of the school's Board of Trustees last weekend. Rawlings will replace Frank Rhodes, who has been president of Cornell since 1977. According to a statement provided by Cornell, Rhodes is "the longest-serving president of an Ivy League institution." Rhodes described Rawlings, who attended Haverford College and received his doctorate from Princeton University, as "the perfect match for Cornell." Rodin, who said she has gotten to know Rawlings "only briefly," characterized him as "a wonderful appointment." She advised Rawlings to take advantage of the transition period by continually asking hard questions, getting "below the surface" and consulting widely with faculty, staff and students before arriving on campus. "There are so many things to learn, and unless you probe deeply it's hard to find them out before you come," she said. "Be ready to work very, very hard." The University of Iowa is the country's oldest public institution of higher learning. As its president, Rawlings initiated a comprehensive strategic planning process, made undergraduate education a priority, boosted externally funded research grants to record levels and worked to improve the physical appearance of the campus. While some of these goals and activities seem to mesh especially well with Rodin's plans for the University, she said it would be premature to speculate on the possibility of increased cooperation between the University and Cornell.

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