Commentary by Sanford D. Horn
June 20, 2012
For those of us disappointed he opted to sit on the
sidelines for the 2012 GOP presidential nominating cavalcade, Indiana Governor
Mitch Daniels will in fact, become president – of Purdue University.
In selecting the Monongahela, PA native as its 12th
president, Purdue welcomes a major league name to lead an engineering-based
institution in a major league conference – the Big Ten. Daniels, 63, no
stranger to the limelight, but who tends to shy away from the cameras, is far
from aloof as he has a good personality, wry sense of humor and is rather
cerebral.
Daniels commands tremendous respect from people and as
such carries with him the ability to assemble a winning team – something that
helped make him a successful two-term governor. That, along with his
connections, will surely compensate for his lack of experience in the academic
arena.
Daniels will overcome whatever learning curve and
shortcomings his critics aver simply by listening to their experience-based
suggestions. After all, they will want Daniels to succeed as a non-partisan university
president which is a less combative position than governor. The only hope of
failure could emerge from spiteful academic elitists who oppose a Republican or
of course 11 other Big Ten rivals!
He will also succeed by staying true to his fiscal roots
of budget cutting and overall penurious demeanor. Daniels brings to West Lafayette
solid business acumen, including his time as a senior executive at Eli Lilly and
tenure as director of the federal Office of Management and Budget.
Daniels should fast become a favorite of students as the
governor has worked strenuously to keep costs down and supports making college
affordable for all students. He played an active role in increasing the
visibility of Western Governor’s University here in Indiana. And he’s no
academic slouch himself, earning his bachelor’s degree at Princeton University
and his law degree at Georgetown University.
With college and university costs continuing to
skyrocket, “Our Man Mitch,” may very well be the answer not just for Purdue but
as an example for how it might be done on campuses across the nation. Daniels
could very well leave a stronger legacy in academia than in government.
Sanford D. Horn is
a writer and educator living in Westfield, IN.
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