Alumni president says 'later' to IU

Exactly five years ago, Ken Beckley came out of retirement to become president of the IU Alumni Association. Yesterday, he said his good byes. Now, he will have the time to think about tomorrow. \n"This will be the end of my working life and it feels very strange," Beckley said. "But there are a number of things my wife and I would like to do." \nThe 1962 IU graduate says he will spend his time traveling, visiting with family, working on his golf game and perhaps most importantly, remembering "a great University." \n"I will miss the people most of all -- my staff on all eight IU campuses, student alumni leaders, all of the alumni volunteers throughout the world, and the University partners," he said. "We've worked so closely over the years." \nBeckley, who was appointed as the association president by former IU President Myles Brand on Feb. 1, 2002, sees his time spent at IU as anything but a one-man show.\n"We have had a lot of achievements over the past five years," he said. "And they were all because of the people involved."\nBy far, the achievement he is proudest of is the Jerry F. Tardy Operating Endowment, started two years ago by Beckley and his association team. \nTo date, the endowment, named after Beckley's predecessor as IUAA president, has raised almost $9 million through investments and pledges, a sum Beckley says will play a large role in helping the association be of better service to IU alumni.\n"The mission of an alumni association is not to simply raise money," he said. "It is to connect the alumni with the University." \nAnd Beckley has spent the past five years doing just that -- connecting. \nCurrently the IUAA has the third largest body of living graduates in the nation, and with a student population of more than 90,000 between all eight IU campuses, the statistic is likely to remain.\nBut what does a man who has given more than 1,000 speeches and welcoming addresses in his career say is the best way for students to remain connected to the University? Beckley said it's not what you give, but what you take away, that is truly important.\n"I hope during their years here, students develop a pride and leave the University with some sense of loyalty," he said. "IU was here for them and, for their money, it provided them with life changing experiences. I feel all of us have an obligation to help the University in years ahead."\nFor Beckley, the years ahead are still guaranteed to lead him back to IU. The believer in a never-ending collegiate connection says he plans on being a regular attendee of University functions.\n"The college experience should be a wonderful time in your life," he said. "It should be part academic and part extracurricular, both are extremely important." \nFor Beckley it didn't end after a degree, and he claims it still won't. \n"Like I told my receptionist earlier, it's not goodbye. It's see you later"