[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 24475]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



     IN RECOGNITION OF LEE BOLLINGER'S SERVICE AS PRESIDENT OF THE 
                         UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

 Mr. LEVIN: Mr. President, today I would like to pay tribute to 
a dynamic and visionary leader in my home State of Michigan, Mr. Lee 
Bollinger.
  For nearly 5 years, Lee Bollinger has served as the president of one 
of the world's premier institutions of higher learning, the University 
of Michigan. During the Bollinger administration, the University of 
Michigan has experienced a period of dynamic growth and change.
  At a time when it is essential to keep higher education affordable 
for all Americans, it is imperative that universities do all they can 
to provide a quality education at an affordable price. Lee Bollinger 
has worked hard to place the University of Michigan in a healthy 
financial position so that it can meet its financial obligations. The 
University has operated its fiscal affairs astutely under Lee's 
leadership. U of M's endowment is now the fourth largest among public 
universities.
  In recent years, some have suggested that university presidents are 
chosen more for their ability to raise money than for their academic 
prowess or vision for the modern research university. Despite his 
success at managing the University's fiscal affairs, Lee Bollinger was 
not such a university president. He is truly a Renaissance man whose 
vision of the University as a tool for academic and social progress 
permeated all that he did while in Ann Arbor.
  Lee Bollinger's vision for the University has reinforced Michigan's 
role as a leader in the arts and sciences. He was instrumental in the 
construction of the Walgreen Drama Center, which houses the 450-seat 
theater named in honor of the most famous living American playwright 
and an alumnus of the University of Michigan, Arthur Miller. In 
addition, he made it possible to bring the Royal Shakespeare Company to 
campus.
  The sciences have also flourished under Lee's tenure. He has worked 
to develop the University's Life Sciences Initiative, which will soon 
house hundreds of researchers who will probe the human genome and will 
work to discover new treatments for a variety of diseases. This 
initiative has the potential to make both the University and the State 
of Michigan leaders in the emerging field of biotechnology.
  My admiration for Lee has also been shaped by his unwavering support 
of the University's affirmative action policy in admissions. Under his 
stewardship, the University has made inclusion and diversity its 
bywords. Lee has steadfastly led the defense of the University's 
policies in two separate lawsuits that are currently being heard in 
Federal court, and which may ultimately be heard before the Supreme 
Court. I thank him for his tremendous commitment to making sure that 
the University of Michigan continues to provide a diverse learning 
environment for all of its students. I know the University will 
continue to fight for these issues even after Lee moves on to his new 
position as President of Columbia University.
  Just last month, Lee was recognized by the Association of Academic 
Health Centers with the Herbert W. Nickens Award in honor of his strong 
advocacy for diversity at the University and in our Nation. It is an 
award that is well deserved.
  As Lee Bollinger leaves Ann Arbor for New York City, I want to take 
this opportunity to wish him and his wife, Jean, all the best. During 
his tenure as President, Lee Bollinger enhanced the University of 
Michigan's stature as one of the premier institutions of learning in 
the world. I know that my Senate colleagues will join me in 
congratulating Lee Bollinger on his tenure as President of the 
University of Michigan. I trust that the Columbia University community 
will soon come to admire him as much as we have in Michigan.

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