Part V: How others view his legacy
By Michael Bezillz
University Relations
Editor's note: Bryce Jordan served from 1983 to 1990 as Penn State's 14th president. Now president emeritus, he lives in retirement in Austin, Texas. As part of the University's sesquicentennial observance, in a four-part series with Penn State historian Michael Bezilla, he discussed some of the key issues that made his presidency unique. In the fifth and concluding part of this series, some of Jordan's Penn State contemporaries assess his impact on the University.
In my judgment, one of Bryce Jordan's most impressive accomplishments came early in his presidency, when he turned the strategic planning process on its head. In very short order the Penn State community came to understand that plans were meant to be acted on. He had a vision and accompanying set of strategies in mind, and he asked those involved in the planning process how to get there rather than where to go. He knew his leadership responsibility was to set forth the outlines of a strong plan for the future and to create a process for many voices to shape the details. He also understood that plans had to mean something -- that resources needed to be aligned and results achieved. Bryce Jordan created a legacy of planning that continues to this day and has shaped the University's programs in very significant ways.
On a personal note, he provided wise counsel and guidance to me in ways that only became evident years later when I assumed the presidency of Kent State University. Kent State surely is only one of many higher education institutions that have benefited from his inspiration and example.
-- Carol Cartwright, president of Kent State University. Cartwright served as Penn State's dean for undergraduate programs and vice provost, 1984-88.
The initiative with which I was most closely involved was the new visual identity system Bryce Jordan insisted Penn State must have. At the time, in the mid-1980s, Penn State was drowning in a sea of disparate logos, symbols and visual icons -- more than 200 of them, we counted. Our visual communications were a confused mess, and the parts certainly overwhelmed the whole. President Jordan employed a New York graphic identity agency -- Downey, Weeks and Toomey -- who over the course of two years did the research and the creative invention of not only the new shield logo, but a coherent, cohesive visual identity system that spanned our 24 campuses and made us look like a single institution. That graphic system is still doing good work today.
-- Roger L. Williams, executive director of the Penn State Alumni Association. Williams served as assistant vice president and executive director of University relations at Penn State, 1986-1994.
Our entry into the Big Ten was by no means a pushover to achieve. To a significant extent, this move evolved with encouragement and help from Coach Joe Paterno on the one hand and Stanley Ikenberry (president of the University of Illinois and chairman of the Big Ten council of presidents) on the other. Bryce demonstrated his negotiating capabilities. His strong will and positive attitude -- he didn't like to lose -- overcame objections from many naysayers within the leadership of Big Ten universities as well as Penn State. The leadership of the Board of Trustees shared his wisdom for the move to an all-sports conference that would also enhance the total academic opportunities for the University. When early attempts to join the Big East Conference were thwarted, Bryce Jordan did not abandon the concept that eventually vastly improved our collaborative academic efforts as well as athletic competition in all sports. In the 15 years since joining the Big Ten, Penn State complemented the conference's great athletic tradition and, at the same time, the Big Ten elevated Penn State's attainment of higher standards in its academic achievements. This might not have occurred without gutsy leadership from Bryce Jordan.
-- Marian "Mimi" U. Coppersmith Fredman, chairman of the board of The Barash Group. Fredman was vice chair of Penn State's Board of Trustees, 1988-90, and chair, 1991-92.
Penn State's athletic program had an interest in joining a conference for a variety reasons, including promoting opportunities for women and stabilizing revenues. Initially, an effort was made to establish a new, all-sports conference for East Coast universities, but the effort was not successful. The Big Ten was an attractive alternative because of its comprehensive athletic programs, commitment to women's programs and the academic quality of the institutions. Interestingly, when Jack Oswald was president, several of us met with the president of the University of Michigan to discuss the possibility of a Big Ten-Penn State affiliation. The timing was not right at the time, and nothing further developed.
The timing for such an alliance improved significantly under Bryce Jordan, and he played an important leadership role in this process. The vote by the Big Ten presidents, however, was not unanimous; and the athletic directors and the faculty representatives were not included in the decision process. Consequently, there was much negative feeling among some Big Ten representatives. Our reception at early meetings was "cool" to say the least. After several years, the Big Ten members and the Penn State community began to realize and understand the academic and athletic advantages of the alliance. At this point in time, it would be difficult to find some area of Penn State that has not been touched positively by the Big Ten affiliation.
-- John J. Coyle, professor emeritus of business administration. Coyle was Penn State's faculty representative to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, 1970-2000.
Following the departure of President Eric Walker and before the arrival of Bryce Jordan, the academic reputation of Penn State had hit a plateau; and there was some doubt on the part of scholars whether the University really was a place where excellence and innovation were valued highly. The arrival of Bryce Jordan dispelled those doubts. He brought dynamic leadership, a high energy level and a commitment to excellence. Through his resolve to hire and retain top scholars, Penn State became less of a farm team for other major research universities. Major facilities were provided for areas such as combustion, longevity and astronomy. Materials and the library were expanded and modernized. Some of these facilities were expensive and there were those who doubted that research funding would grow sufficiently to pay for them. Bryce Jordan's faith in the energy and capability of the faculty proved justified and his initiatives resulted in a solid foundation upon which the current dynamic research program has been built. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that today the Penn State research program is among the top dozen major university programs in this country, with many centers of excellence second to none.
-- Charles Hosler, professor emeritus of meteorology. Hosler was senior vice president for research and dean of The Graduate School, 1985-92.
From the outset, Bryce Jordan made it clear he was willing to listen to and seriously consider any recommendations for improving Penn State's academic standing among this country's leading research universities, and he made a number of important decisions that helped our college move in this direction. Bryce had been in office only about a month or two (when) two members of our Department of Astronomy came to see me to describe their plans for building the world's largest telescope at an unbelievably low cost -- then estimated at about $2 million, compared with $60 million for a similar venture being planned elsewhere. The three of us went immediately to Bryce's office where, after being convinced by their story, he authorized the $50,000 they needed to get their National Science Foundation proposal ready for submission. The resulting Hobby-Eberly telescope is now supplying data of great importance to global astronomers seeking to understand the nature of the universe. All of the $20 million it eventually required, save for the original $50,000, came from outside sources.
-- Thomas Wartik, dean emeritus of the Eberly College of Science. Wartik served as dean of that college, 1971-87.
Bryce recognized that Penn State could become a better university if it improved opportunities for each student, each staff employee, each faculty member. During his presidency, Penn State addressed complex and difficult issues relating to women and minorities. I know this from my service on Penn State's Commission for Women from 1985 to 1988, and the Strategic Study Group on the Status of Women, a special component of the University's strategic planning. A multi-year research process looked at a broad range of women's experiences at Penn State -- from classroom to boardroom, from students to administrators. Bryce and his senior team handled the recommendations from this process in a manner that strengthened the University. Different perspectives were respected, long-held assumptions were questioned, values were probed and compromises were reached. Under his presidency, there was a commitment to moving more women into leadership positions, reviewing hiring practices, assessing retention of employees and students, improving faculty search procedures to address low numbers of women faculty, and addressing many other issues ranging from campus safety to sexual harassment.
As I reflect on my years at Penn State, I remember this: Bryce took on difficult issues with grace and dignity; he set high expectations; he was open to change; and he was respectful of others. He challenged everyone to work for the betterment of the University and he inspired others to reach to new and higher levels of academic achievement, of philanthropy, of public service.
-- Nancy M. Cline, Roy E. Larsen Librarian of Harvard College. Cline served as dean of the University Libraries, 1988-96.
Prior to my move to State College, I knew Bryce Jordan primarily through associations at national meetings and occasional athletic events. He was an active and very thoughtful president at the national level, and I gained great respect for his contributions. It was readily apparent that he brought inspired leadership and a special new spark to Penn State. During my interviews for the Penn State presidency several people made reference to that spark and the hope that the new president would continue to build on Dr. Jordan's successes. Bryce obviously was skilled at evaluating leadership potential. I inherited a very talented and dedicated administrative staff who made my transition very easy. I continued to enjoy exchanging ideas with Bryce and picking his brain. He was a strong act to follow but I had already concluded that there are many advantages to following a strong president. It is a special pleasure to assume leadership of a university where all the major systems are working and there is an obvious forward momentum.
-- Joab Thomas, Penn State president emeritus. Thomas succeeded Jordan in 1990 and retired in 1995.
Bryce and I were part of a group that consulted with the Kellogg Foundation on an initiative supporting Land Grant universities in the mid-1980s, and he was the keynote speaker at a conference that launched that initiative. I was provost of Oregon State University then. I came to admire him, and I followed his work at Penn State closely because of my previous service and continuing ties here. So immediately after I was named president of Penn State in 1995, and a couple of months before I even moved back to State College, I flew to Texas to spend a day with Bryce, soaking up all he had to share. We compared notes, I tossed some ideas around with him, and I received some good advice. We were well-enough acquainted that we were able to share confidences. You could even call it gossiping. Now more than 15 years since his retirement, his indelible fingerprints are all over Penn State's legacy of achievement and forward-looking spirit. I consider him a man of sage wisdom, the inspiration for so much of our success today, and a good friend.
-- Graham Spanier, president of Penn State since 1995.
For a biographical sketch of Bryce Jordan, visit http://www.libraries.psu.edu/speccolls/psua/psgeneralhistory/presidents/jordan.htm online.
For photos from the Jordan years, go to http://live.psu.edu/still_life/2005_09_22_jordan/ online. To view the Bryce Jordan retrospective Web site, go to http://www.sesquicentennial.psu.edu/2005_jordan/ online.