[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 8806]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             ROBERT GLIDDEN

 Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, the State of Ohio has had a good 
friend in Ohio University President Robert Glidden for many years. 
Higher education in particular, in Ohio and elsewhere, has had a good 
friend in Dr. Glidden for a lifetime.
  As he prepares to retire next month from the presidency of Ohio 
University, my alma mater, I think it is important to recognize Dr. 
Glidden's commitment, dedication and hard work. Most of all, though, I 
would like to applaud his stance that education is the best means 
through which to raise up the individual, the State of Ohio and our 
great Nation, and his zeal in conveying that philosophy.
  On July 1, 1994, Dr. Glidden became the 19th president of Ohio 
University, the first public institution of higher learning in the old 
Northwest Territory. He previously had served Ohio as dean of the 
Bowling Green State University College of Musical Arts from 1975 to 
1979 and assistant professor of music at Wright State University from 
1966 to 1967. His other posts have included professor, music school 
dean, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Florida State 
University and music professor at Indiana University and the University 
of Oklahoma.
  Dr. Glidden can be proud of his service to higher education. In the 
past decade, he has taken Ohio University to a new level of excellence 
by emphasizing the university's academic and research missions. He has 
also made it an Ohio University priority to reach out to Southeast Ohio 
through the university's strong regional campus system, the Voinovich 
Center for Leadership and Public Affairs, and a multitude of other 
offerings. He has moved the university forward--by way of improvements 
in undergraduate education, technological advancements and campus 
improvements--during some of the toughest economic times we have faced 
in recent memory.
  This has taken considerable creativity, focus and foresight, and 
often it has meant making difficult decisions. It also has required a 
commitment to seeking out new opportunities and revenue steams. Under 
Dr. Glidden's watch, external funding for Ohio University faculty 
research has climbed to $54.3 million, up from just $34.4 million six 
years earlier. The university also is about to surpass the $200 million 
goal of its Bientennial Campaign.
  These are accomplishments on the grand scale, but there is a personal 
side to Dr. Glidden that students of Ohio University have come to know 
and appreciate. Above all, he respects them. He wants them to 
appreciate learning for learning's sake and gain knowledge and skills 
that will last them a lifetime, especially because the focus of their 
careers is likely to change several times as the years go by. He also 
has emphasized civility and character, attributes that--as we see every 
day--are more important now than ever.
  Likewise, Dr. Glidden has nurtured Ohio University's relationship 
with its alumni. These individuals, now some 170,000 strong, are making 
important advancements and contributions around the globe. He takes 
pride in their accomplishments, and he encourages their continued 
involvement with and support for their university and education in 
general.
  My wife Janet and I have enjoyed being able to get to know Bob and 
his wife, Renee. Renee's contributions to the university community are 
noteworthy in their own right. Not only did she oversee the renovation 
of the President's residence--painstakingly stripping and refinishing 
the home's main staircase herself--she has also made valuable 
contributions as a career volunteer. She has served on the Board of 
Trustees of the Dairy Barn/Southeastern Ohio Cultural Arts Center, the 
Stuart Opera House, Community Design Inc., the Percent for Art 
Committee, and the Ohio Arts Council.
  In addition to his distinguished service to Ohio University, Dr. 
Glidden has taken a leadership role in higher education in Ohio and 
around the country through his involvement with Ohio's Inter-University 
Council and service as founding chair of the Council on Higher 
Education Accreditation. Such activities have helped raise the bar for 
educational institutions around the country and earned him the respect 
of his peers nationwide. In the words of Miami University President 
James Garland, whose school has long enjoyed a healthy rivalry with 
Ohio University: ``When it comes to defending budgets and advancing 
policies in the interest of higher education, Bob has been a leader in 
the state . . . I have as much respect for him as a university 
president as anyone I've ever met.''
  I am grateful, as I know others throughout southeast Ohio are that 
Dr. Glidden has expressed an interest in continuing his service to Ohio 
University, albeit in a more modest fashion, during retirement. His 
passion for education and the doors it opens make him a most valuable 
ally for the students of today and the leaders of tomorrow. Thank you, 
Bob, for your service. Go Bobcats.

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