[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 10460]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



    TRIBUTE TO DR. KENNETH MORTIMER, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII PRESIDENT

 Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to Kenneth P. 
Mortimer, the 11th President of the University of Hawaii. He served 
Hawaii's premier institution of higher learning for 8 years with 
integrity and distinction.
  Dr. Mortimer has led the University of Hawaii forward during one of 
the longest and most severe economic downturns in our State's history. 
With massive cutbacks to the University's budget, President Mortimer 
instituted difficult, oftentimes painful cost-saving measures, to allow 
the University to provide a quality education for all students with a 
renewed focus on its core mission.
  In addition, during this difficult economic period, President 
Mortimer launched an ambitious 4-year $100 million capital campaign to 
raise private funds for endowments, improvements, and scholarships. The 
campaign concluded ahead of schedule on May 31, 2001, having exceeded 
their goal by $16 million. The campaign raised needed funds during a 
critical period in the school's history. It also established a strong 
foundation for continued large giving.
  But, most importantly I believe the capital campaign demonstrated to 
one and all--students, alumni, community--that the University of Hawaii 
is good enough, worthy enough, to request and secure such large giving. 
I was proud to serve as an honorary co-chair of the campaign. It took 
leadership and guts to launch such a campaign. It took perseverance and 
commitment to ensure its success. President Mortimer can be proud of 
this legacy he leaves behind.
  There is another very important mark Dr. Mortimer will leave behind 
for the university. It is carved into Hawaii's most sacred legal 
document--our State Constitution. No president had ever tried to do 
what President Mortimer set out to do, namely to secure constitutional 
autonomy for the University of Hawaii, giving the institution a greater 
say in its own affairs, fiscal, legal and otherwise. First, landmark 
legislation was passed by the Hawaii State Legislature to allow the 
issue of constitutional autonomy to be placed on the Hawaii ballot in 
November of 2000. Second, Dr. Mortimer mounted an aggressive ``vote 
yes'' campaign which received a resounding approval of the people. 
Another milestone achieved, another foundation laid to help assure the 
University's future success.
  There are many more accomplishments, too many to name, that can be 
attributed to Dr. Mortimer. He led my alma mater forward during a most 
difficult time in our State's history. He did so with a quiet dignity 
and a steadfast resolve. He listened and then acted.
  The University of Hawaii is stronger as a direct result of his 
leadership. He never lost sight of what I have known all along--the 
University of Hawaii is a great institution of higher learning, not 
just a good institution, but a great one. Dr. Mortimer believed it in 
his heart and represented us as such to all he came in contact with. He 
gave of himself--with his time, skill and aloha--and the University is 
richer and wiser for it.
  On behalf of the people of Hawaii, I would like to express my 
personal appreciation to Ken and Lorie for their years of service and 
commitment to academic excellence. My heartfelt wishes are with them as 
they embark on a new journey together.




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