Herbert seen as man of ‘warmth’

“Enormous warmth.” An intriguing way to describe a man so maligned for the things he did – or did not do. But when asked to reflect on departing IU President Adam Herbert’s greatest strengths, University Chancellor Ken Gros Louis said it was Herbert’s ability to connect with people, whether one-on-one or in a group setting, that set him apart from his predecessors.\n“(His strengths are) his enormous warmth and interest in others,” Gros Louis said. “For whatever reasons, that major strength was not used, and because I’m so fond of him, it saddens me that his greatest strengths were not used.”\nIU law professor Fred Cate said he agreed with Gros Louis. \n“Either because of the way the job was structured or because of the needs of the University at this particular moment in time, the strengths he brought to the job just didn’t translate,” Cate said.\nDean of Students Dick McKaig said he felt Herbert brought an incredible amount of character to his office.\n“He brought a real kind of charisma to the presidency,” McKaig said. “Each person has his own strengths and his own capabilities. I think he did a fine job.”\nHerbert was installed as IU’s 17th president Aug. 1, 2003. He inherited a situation Gros Louis described simply as challenging. \nThe current University chancellor pointed to the dissatisfaction with then-IU Chancellor Sharon Brehm, personnel and budgetary shortcomings in the athletics department and a need to enhance IU’s public relations capabilities as issues Herbert faced immediately after taking office.\n“Not known to many people, when he came, he really had a lot of challenges to face,” Gros Louis said. “I think he did a really good job in a lot of the areas where they asked him to do a good job in.”\nBoth McKaig and Gros Louis said his handling of these problems are examples of Herbert’s leadership ability. They also pointed to successes he found in expanding grants, awards and fundraising for financial aid and research. They talked about Herbert’s commitment to furthering the life sciences at IU, his innovative “mission differentiation” program for IU’s eight campuses and his work to raise admissions standards while easing access, both academically and financially, to IU’s campuses for Indiana residents. \nHowever, both believed Herbert’s personable nature was his greatest and most memorable quality. McKaig spoke of being with Herbert after the April 21, 2006, plane crash that claimed the lives of five IU music students.\n“Sometimes, in very sad occasions, the character of a person shines through,” McKaig said. “I was with the president as we greeted some of the families at the local airport, and obviously it was a very difficult time for everybody involved, and his sincerity and his warmth and his concern in a very private moment, I think, was very important. It ... spoke to the character and concern of the man.”\nCate said he believed Herbert’s strength as a communicator showed during that tragedy.\n“He was absolutely extraordinary in his ability to communicate the loss that the campus felt and to be supportive to the families and the friends,” Cate said. “We saw the remarkable ability of this man to communicate. We saw his warmth and his sympathy. We saw his dignity under great pressure.”\nHowever, Gros Louis added that he believed Herbert wanted to do much more with his time at IU, especially in terms of connecting with students.\n“I know from the time before he entered office, he wanted very much to be more involved with students,” he said. “Because of the demands on his calendar, he really never had a chance to do those kinds of things that he wanted to do and that he’s so good at doing.”\nGros Louis said the “train is on the track” regarding life-sciences initiatives, and he believes it will be the responsibility of the next president to continue them.\nHowever, he said, the University is better for Herbert’s tenure. \n“On a personal level, I’ll miss him a lot,” Gros Louis said. “I think that, given the problems he faced when he came ... I think he leaves IU a much stronger place than when he came.”