A Model President

Given the ambivalence regarding IU President Myles Brand's departure for the NCAA, choosing the next leader will be a difficult decision. \nIn a recent interview with the IDS, Chancellor Sharon Brehm said Herman B. Wells is the model the board of trustees should look at when selecting the next president of IU.\nWells, is known as one of the most influential figures in IU's history. He was President for a quarter-century, IU Chancellor for another 37 years after that and IU's "Man of the Century." \n"Chancellor Wells was, quite simply, a great man, one of the exceptional figures in higher education this century," Brand said in a press release following Wells' death in 2000 at the age of 97. "If it were not for his vision, his leadership, his passion and hard work, IU would not be the University that it is today."\nJames Capshew, professor of history and philosophy of science at IU, is currently rummaging through Wells' letters and documents to get information for his new biography of Wells, expected to hit shelves in 2005. Years ago, while Capshew worked as a houseboy for Wells, he gained a unique sense of who Wells was and what made him such a historical figure.\n"He was ambitious for the University, not just himself," Capshew said. "He profoundly affected IU. It was a good University, but it became a great University under his leadership."\nCapshew said one reason Wells stands apart was because of his relaxed attitude.\n"I think the statue of Wells says a lot about what kind of man he was," Capshew said. "That statue is not on a pedestal. He is sitting down. He is relaxed. People sit next to him and take pictures next to him. He had this charisma that was very comfortable."\nCapshew said Wells was born with a great sense of humor, pride and honesty. When he graduated from Lebanon High School in 1920, his classmates voted him "Funniest" and "Best All-Round Boy."\nRecently, IU trustee Jamie Belanger said one of the board's qualities they will look for in a new president is the ability to effectively work with the state legislature on funding. Capshew said someone like Wells would be able to handle the situation, noting Wells' ability to deal with officials on a personal level. \n"He had a tremendous ability for fundraising," Capshew said. "He developed this ease with the state legislators. He has the personal touch to achieve his financial goals."\nIn addition, Capshew said Wells would support many of the Brand's policies.\n"Wells would be happy with Brand's focus on academics first and athletics second," Capshew said.\nIn addition to developing the University academically, Wells had a knack for supporting social development on campus, particularly when it came to segregation. Wells made active efforts to desegregate restaurants in Bloomington during a time where involvement such as that on the part of the administration was rare. \n"He was very involved in egalitarianism," Capshew said. "He was very involved in the progress of African Americans. He was an all-around humanitarian."\nFor his efforts in civil rights, Wells received the NAACP Brotherhood Award for 1961-62.\nFormer IUB Chancellor Ken Gros Louis said Wells was a "very visionary person" and could plan far into the future.\n"One example is when the students' Recreational Sports building was being planned," Gros Louis said. "I brought over the plans to show Wells and he asked where the room was for the activities that aren't taught yet. Because he noticed that new sports are always being developed, and there needed to be room for these new classes in the future."\nIU's student body nearly tripled under Wells' leadership, from 11,000 in 1938 to 31,000 in 1962, and in his 1980 autobiography Being Lucky, Wells discussed his attempt to obtain a personal relationship with the student body. \n"During the past 25 years I personally signed the diplomas of all graduates," Wells said. "Neither printing press nor mechanical device of any type has been used to multiply my signature. Each diploma has been read as well as signed, one at a time. This has given me a sense of direct identification with each graduate." \nGros Louis said Wells was an "extraordinarily human" president who had a personal relationship with his University.\n"He had an extraordinary memory," Gros Louis said. "He made an effort to get to know all of the faculty he came across and could remember everyone's name. He also tried to get to students as well. You probably know that he used to dress up as Santa Claus during Christmas."\nCapshew said Wells, an IU student, professor and administrator was "married to the University." He claimed this sort of history of studying and working at IU helped Wells develop a love for the campus, which made him succeed in his job. \n"We have looked outside, especially with modern national search committees," Capshew said. "But there is a strong tradition of home grown talent and Wells was home grown talent."\nThe next president of IU will also need the passion for the job that Wells had, as revealed by his autobiography.\n"With full knowledge of the trauma, travail, blood, sweat and tears the office demands, I would eagerly undertake the glorious chore again," Wells said. "For me no other career could have been so satisfying. I have been lucky and happy in my life and work."\nFor more information on the life of Herman B Wells, check out his remembrance page at http://www.indiana.edu/~alumni/wells/.