Fund carries on legacy of former mayor

It has been almost a year and a half since former U.S. Representative, Bloomington Mayor and IU Alumnus Frank McCloskey died after a year-long battle with bladder cancer at the age of 64. Now many of McCloskey's former friends and colleagues are determined to let his legacy live through the creation of the IU McCloskey Fund.\nThe fund will help serve one of McCloskey's favorite issues, extending peace and democracy to the Balkans, on which he had worked a majority of the last decade of his life. The focus of the fund is the McCloskey Scholar program, which will act as sort of an exchange program between Indiana University and the Balkans. \n"The fund represents the life of Frank McCloskey in his dedication and often lonely fight in the U.S. Congress to stop genocide in the Balkans," said Director of the IU Russian and East European Institute David Ransel. "Frank persuaded enough people that our government decided to take action, and the slaughter stopped very quickly."\nMcCloskey was one of the first U.S. officials to draw attention to the genocide occurring in Bosnia, and was one of the main supporters for U.S. intervention in the region. Risking his own physical well-being, he even toured a war zone in Croatia during the conflict to verify the genocide firsthand.\n"Frank had a real social consciousness," said Ed Delaney, an attorney and participant in the formation of the fund. "He was a committed fan of IU and we have tried to combine this with his interests in the Balkans."\nThe initial plan of the fund is to have a student from IU study in the Balkan region, where he or she will work and study with the National Democratic Institute. At the same time, a student or scholar from Kosovo will spend a few months studying in Bloomington and Washington, D.C. \nIn Washington the student will work with party and political officials, and in Bloomington he or she will complete the research with the mayor and staff members from IU. In the future there are plans to expand the program to include multiple students studying in both regions. \n"Our attraction to the exchange program was that it was a way to build towards international peace," said Chris Sautter, a political consultant who worked on the conception of the fund. "This will provide an enduring link and a long-term understanding between IU and the Balkan region."\nOn April, 5 a fund-raising event will be held at the Virgil T. DeVault Alumni Center for the commencement of the fund featuring a speech by former Indiana Congressman Lee Hamilton. Founders hope to get some of the $10,000 to $12,000 needed to get operations underway, during the event. Tickets will cost $50 dollars per person and can be purchased through REEI.\n"Lee Hamilton is a very appropriate choice to speak at this event," Sautter said. "He is well known to the community and one of the most respected experts on foreign policy. He was also a very close colleague and friend of McCloskey." \nAfter his tenure in Congress, McCloskey continued his pursuit and dedication to fight for democracy and freedom in the Balkans. Even up to the last days of his life, he still championed the region. \n"He became a maser's degree student in the REEI at Indiana University so that he could increase his own knowledge of the region," said Ransel. "At the same time, he worked as an associate of the National Democratic Institute as the NDI's representative in Kosovo." \nA cast of literally hundreds were involved in the creation of the fund, including McCloskey's former colleagues, associates, and friends. However, McCloskey's wife, Roberta, was one of the main supporters of the fund. Integrally involved in the project, Roberta McCloskey passed away on Feb. 2, just weeks after signing the papers to establish the fund. \n-- Contact Staff Writer Trevor Brown at brownta@indiana.edu.