[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 103 (Thursday, July 22, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S8673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO MR. JOHN HICKS

 Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. 
John Hicks, a veteran administrator of the University of Alabama System 
who, after a quarter-century of service, will retire on August 31, 
2004. John has made tremendous contributions to the institution through 
his dedication to educational excellence, and I am pleased to 
congratulate him today.
  John has served as a member of the University of Alabama management 
team since 1979, most recently as executive assistant to the chancellor 
and secretary of the board of trustees of the University of Alabama. 
Recognized nationally for his accomplishments in higher education 
administration, John has made countless contributions to the 
university.
  John has been an integral part of the university's efforts to recruit 
senior leadership, resulting in the selection of 10 campus presidents 
and four chancellors. Additionally, John's responsibilities at the 
university include oversight of the activities and meetings of the 
board of trustees as well as leadership in strategic planning and 
crisis management issues.
  As ambassador of the University of Alabama system in the U.S. and 
abroad, John has represented the Board and its entities in activities 
of the Association of Governing Boards of American Colleges and 
Universities, the American Council on Education, the College and 
University Personnel Association, the Japan-America Society of Alabama, 
and the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant 
Colleges. In addition to his responsibilities with the university 
system, John still finds time to actively participate in the community 
by serving on the Alabama Shakespeare Festival Theatre Authority and 
boards of the Alabama School of Math and Science, the Kentuck Festival, 
and A Women's Place, a shelter for women and children in Tuscaloosa, 
AL. He is a member of the 2004 class of Leadership Alabama and Christ 
Episcopal Church.
  John received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial economics/
administration and finance from Purdue University and a Master of Arts 
from the Eastern Michigan University. John and his wife Kirsten Boyd 
Hicks are the parents of three grown children and have two 
grandchildren.
  John has served the University of Alabama community with dedication 
and a sincere commitment to make the university a better place. The 
university will, indeed, miss him, but I am certain he will maintain 
his presence and leadership within the Tuscaloosa community. Today, I 
want to congratulate John on the occasion of his retirement and wish 
him and his family the very best.

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