[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 80 (Monday, May 10, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S2412]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO DR. EUGENE MORGAN HUGHES

 Ms. SINEMA. Mr. President, today I wish to honor the life of 
Dr. Eugene ``Gene'' Morgan Hughes, a recognized leader in higher 
education at the local, State, and national level.
  Dr. Hughes was selected by the Arizona Board of Regents as the 12th 
president of Northern Arizona University, NAU, in 1979. During his 
tenure, he established NAU's Center for Excellence in Education, the 
School of Hotel and Restaurant Management, and the Southwest Center for 
Forestry Science Complex. Dr. Hughes launched field sites on the 
campuses of Arizona's community colleges, including NAU-Yuma, and 
initiated NAU-net, the first courses in the State offered via 
television to off-campus sites. He also expanded the New Momentum 
program to engage Native American Tribes and forged relationships with 
higher education institutions in China. Under his leadership, NAU's 
total enrollment rose from 12,000 to 18,800 students.
  Dr. Hughes retired from NAU in 1993 and received the titles of 
president emeritus and professor emeritus of mathematics. He served as 
president of Wichita State University, WSU, from 1993 until 1999, 
retiring as president emeritus. He later led Eastern Kentucky 
University, EKU, as its interim president in 2001 before retiring to 
Flagstaff, AZ.
  Dr. Hughes was chairman of the American Association of State Colleges 
and Universities and president of the Arizona Board of Education. He 
was selected as Flagstaff Citizen of the Year in 1988 and Outstanding 
Kansas Citizen of the Year in 1998. He also received the Arizona Board 
of Regents Medal. The School of Hotel and Restaurant Management 
building at NAU was named for him in 1997, and WSU dedicated the Eugene 
M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex in 1999. Dr. Hughes received honorary 
doctoral degrees from NAU in 1997 and EKU in 2011.
  In retirement, Dr. Hughes remained active in the community, including 
as a member of the National Advisory Board of the NAU School of Hotel 
and Restaurant Management, chair of Amtrak's National Customer Advisory 
Committee, and co-president of the Flagstaff Society of St. Vincent de 
Paul. He was also president of the Museum of Northern Arizona.
  Dr. Hughes was a kind, intelligent, and diplomatic man who listened 
patiently, cared deeply, sought compromise, and treated everyone with 
dignity. All who interacted with him felt seen, heard, and appreciated. 
His wit, wisdom, and warm smile will be greatly missed, but his legacy 
endures in the memories of all he touched. Please join me in honoring 
Gene Hughes, a visionary in higher education.

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