TULANE TALK

November 9, 2001

Good Morning:

It’s good to be Number 1. This week members of Tulane’s Army ROTC presented me with the 2001 Ranger Challenge Trophy they won in a recent national competition against 21 other university ROTC units. Tulane’s cadets participated in competition that involved tests of brains and brawn and they excelled in both categories. They are a very impressive group of young people that illustrate, yet again, the extraordinary talent of our students.

After all my recent travels, it was good to stay put for a week and get some office work done. Amidst committee meetings and financial reports, I learned that our Lusher kids will be staying with us for a little longer than expected since the repairs at their school are not yet complete. Someone called our office the other day and asked if Tulane professors were teaching the Lusher students at Uptown Square. Well, hopefully, that will one day be the case when some of these kids become Tulane students. But we’ll have to wait a few years for that.

I was really pleased by the turnout for last night’s first Presidential Symposium on bioterrorism. I think everyone who attended learned a lot about the new threat we are facing and how we can protect ourselves. The symposium was webcast and later today can be found at http://www2.tulane.edu/president_symposium.cfm. I want to personally thank each of our outstanding panelists: John Clements, Donald Krogstad, William Hartley, Rebecca Meriwether, Susan McLellan and our moderator Robert Robins for their efforts.

I also had an opportunity to give several talks in the community this week. There are three themes I always weave into my presentations, regardless of the topic on which I’m asked to speak: the role of a university in building the intellectual capital of a community; why and how a research university should address the pressing social problems in its community; and the role major universities should play in economic development. Not surprisingly, I also use these occasions to tout Tulane University.

Today I am traveling with our football team to Annapolis for our game against Navy. I’ll be back on Sunday to address a Veterans Day gathering at 1 p.m. in Pocket Park. On hand will be our honored veterans, State Sen. Ken Hollis, State Rep. Steve Scalise and students and faculty from throughout the city. Please join us to honor our veterans and pay tribute to the victims of September 11.