Trustees elect Morris president, address residency issue

The IU board of trustees unanimously appointed James Morris its new president at the trustees' reorganization meeting Friday. Frederick Eichhorn was re-appointed vice-president.\nMorris' appointment as president marks the first time in seven years someone besides John Walda has held the position. Walda, trustees president since 1994, chose not to run for re-election because of demands from his new role as chairman of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, a national organization for trustees.\nMorris, a former president of the Lilly Endowment Inc., is currently Chairman and chief executive officer of IWC Resources Corporation and Indianapolis Water Company, the company's principal subsidiary. He is founding director of the Indiana Sports Corporation and has also served on the United States Olympic Committee.\nBefore Friday's meeting, Walda issued a statement to resolve questions surrounding the number of trustees allowed to live in one county.\nSix trustees, including the student trustee, are appointed by the governor, while the other three positions are filled through alumni elections.\nIndiana law states that no more than two trustees, not counting the student trustee, may reside in any one county.\nIn July, Eichhorn moved from Lake to Monroe County making him the third trustee, along with Stephen Ferguson and newly elected trustee Sue Talbot, to live in the area.\nIU Counsel Dorothy Frapwell, Indianapolis law firm Ice Miller and Walda researched the issue and determined that because Eichhorn lived in Lake County at the time he was appointed to his position in 1990, he is considered to live there until his term runs out in July of 2002. \nIn a press release, Walda said the research also determined that the Board's decision was "legally constituted" and that "all actions taken by the board are legal and proper."\nEichhorn said the decisions made regarding the issue were appropriate.\n"The purpose of the statute was to prevent the government from packing the board with members all from one county and dates back to the time when travel was difficult," he said. "The problem then would have been that if a lot of people are appointed from Monroe County they would be the ones to show up for meetings."\nTrustee Stephen Backer said he was happy to see the issue put to rest.\n"I'm glad to see we don't have to make a decision where someone has to leave the board," Backer said.\nTrustee residency could once again become an issue if Eichhorn seeks reelection because he would then be legally considered as coming from Monroe County.\nOne option would be changing the law. At the end of the General Assembly session State Representative Mark Kruzan, D-Bloomington tried to change the law. The measure failed.\nWhile Eichhorn said the law is effective in ensuring a governor does not intentionally pack the Board with several trustees from the same area, changing the law would allow the alumni to elect trustees freely.\n"I think that the alumni ought to be able to elect whoever they want," Eichhorn said.