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View From the Hill |  Alumni-elected trustee bids farewell

By Denise Meridith '73

As I sat in one of many pro-Africana studies, anti-Vietnam War demonstrations on campus during my freshman year at Cornell, the farthest vision from my mind would have been of me sitting in Barton Hall listening to the inaugural speech of Cornell's eleventh president. Yet here it was, thirty-four years after I first set foot in Ithaca, and I was not just a member of the audience; I was a Cornell trustee in full regalia. It was one of many highlights during my four-year term as an alumni-elected trustee. Jeff Lehman's inauguration in October 2003 was a very emotional experience for me on many levels. I have experienced a myriad of emotions during my tenure.

I admit that, like many alumni, I was ignorant of the process of how trustees are chosen until I got the call that I had been nominated, and I was skeptical that an African-American, middle-class federal bureaucrat could compete for such a prestigious post. But I was thrilled when then-President Hunter Rawlings called to tell me I had achieved my first elected position. I am proud of my role in administration of the University, having chaired the Cornell Council's Public Affairs Committee and served on the Academic Affairs and Campus Life Committee and the Athletics Task Force.

Finally, I am sad that my term is coming to an end this year. Was it worth the time and effort required for the many cross-country trips from Phoenix to New York, numerous conference calls, and committee work? You bet! I have been awed and humbled by the intelligence, talent, and commitment of my fellow trustees, the Cornell staff, and the alumni and students I have met as a trustee. They have enhanced my life and career.

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