Western today is very much the result of the rich legacy of leadership from our past colleagues. This morning, we are joined by past acting presidents Al Froderberg and Larry DeLorme.

Their emeriti presidential colleagues Karen Morse, Ken Mortimer, Jerry Flora and Paul Olscamp who could not attend did send us all their best wishes. As a group, they represent the thousands of our predecessor Western faculty and staff to whom we are indebted for what is their remarkable professional legacy, this great university.

Let us show them our appreciation.

One president, in particular, I will say more about. I have known President Morse for many years and, through her, have known of Western's emerging eminence. While Karen and Joe are enjoying a well-deserved and long-planned break, Karen has allowed me to make a special announcement this morning and she agreed to my request that she be here through technology even as she and Joe are travelling.

Leadership is a core value and integral part of what we call the "Western Experience." This will become even more the case as the Leadership Advantage program grows and further blossoms.

In today's environment, adding such a "margin of excellence" usually requires that generous individuals step forward, people who understand that advancing the common good is a personal responsibility. This has regularly happened at Western. Today, I mention three couples who have made major contributions to the Leadership Advantage program. They are:

Jack and JoAnn Bowman
David and Denise Cole
Rick and Sylvia Haggen

They are joined by 105 others who, in celebrating President Morse' success as a leader, contributed to the Leadership Advantage fund.

Representative of so many who regularly step forward to support Western's excellence, let us hear first from Jack and JoAnn Bowman.
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Thank you, Jack and JoAnn.

Now, it is my privilege to share with you, today, that as a result of such philanthropic generosity, we are able to create and fully endow a professorship in leadership. It will be the Bowman Family Distinguished Professor of Leadership Studies, a position that will be dedicated to curricular innovation, teaching and scholarship that advance the understanding and application of leadership.

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