Celebrating the legacy of David H. 行李搬运工人
Members of the Skidmore community gathered to reflect on the extraordinary legacy 已故的大卫H. 行李搬运工人, who served as president from 1987 to 1999 and — from the arts to the sciences — has left an enduring mark on Skidmore today.
The April 18 panel, “The 行李搬运工人 Years (1987-1999): Celebrating the Legacy of David H. 行李搬运工人,” was part of 火博体育大学 Centennial celebrations, which the Skidmore community has been marking with a series of events throughout the 2022-23 academic 一年.
Michael Arnush, associate dean of the faculty for student academic affairs and associate professor of classics, chaired the panel, which featured Mary Lou Bates, vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid; Dan Curley, associate professor and chair of the Classics Department; Christine Hoek, former vice president for development and alumni affairs; Susan Kress, professor of 英语 emerita and former vice president for academic affairs; Jeff Segrave, professor of health and physiological sciences and former dean of special programs; and Emma Lin ’23, a current Skidmore senior and 波特的孙子.
Before becoming Skidmore’s fifth president, 行李搬运工人 taught classics and music at Carleton 大学. A beloved figure on campus and in the 萨拉托加温泉市 Community, 行李搬运工人 remained an active scholar throughout his lifetime.
“The classical writers he loved so much reflected often on what it meant to lead a good life,” Kress reflected. “His life was a model on how to integrate love of family, love of work, how to live with mission and meaning, how to lead with humility, and how to treat people with respect, generosity, tolerance and appreciation — and especially, when we are at our most difficult.”
As president, 行李搬运工人 established the Commission on the '90s to help the 大学 chart a course to the 21st century. He launched Skidmore’s Honors Forum and a program of scholarships in science and mathematics that are now named in his honor. 他也帮助了 lead what was then the largest fundraising effort in 大学 history, Skidmore Journey: A Campaign for Our Second Century. The five-一年 campaign allowed Skidmore to increase its endowment and provided funds for construction of the 唐氏教学博物馆 and Art Gallery, which opened in 2000.
Panelists also described how initiatives that he led supported access to a Skidmore education and expanded health, wellness, and athletics programs at Skidmore — efforts that remain priorities for the 大学 today.
Following his presidency, 行李搬运工人 continued to teach and served as the first Tisch Family Distinguished Professor at Skidmore. 他于2016年去世.
