22 questions for 22 years: A farewell interview with President Bottoms

On the second floor of the administration building, in a corner office of airy, rather than imposing proportions, works a man who has long laboured to make DePauw University a better place for students, faculty, staff and Greencastle. The first of his family to go to college, let alone earn master's and doctoral degrees, he's supremely conscious of and thankful for what he considers blessings in his life, paramount among those: DePauw University and  the 22 years of his presidency. President Robert G. Bottoms, genial and calm, is reflective this close to the end of his leadership. Graduation is as much of a demarcation for him as it is for the class of 2008. But the man who was once the assistant dean of a divinity school is still full of questions — he still asks students what they think of DePauw, what they like and dislike about their experiences, what can be improved. While it appears that this kind of leadership won't be going anywhere, the man is. And he will be missed.

The DePauw: What do you think that people will remember your presidency by?

Robert G. Bottoms: Two things, maybe. The whole diversity issue, the way the campus has changed in terms of the ethnic make-up of the students and faculty. I think if you put that question to the faculty that's probably the first thing they would say. ... The other is, one of the trustees, referred to me as "Bob the Builder." The buildings may not be the most important things that have happened while I've been president, but that's what people see.

TDP: What has been the hardest part of your job?

RB: I would mention three things, not in order of importance. Personnel decisions are always difficult. We have a very good personnel process for the faculty, but sometimes, ... those are the hard decisions you get into. ... I think the institution has changed from a very conservative institution to a much more progressive institution over time. That has been misunderstood from time to time, but I think we're a better institution as a result of it. The other challenge, or the diversity, which is accepted now, was not so easily accepted to start with. We made a lot of mistakes. We had no African-American students to start with and then we increased it and then we had a time when students stopped – "Well, you just brought me here because I'm black". We had white students – "Well, you just brought them here because they're black". That was a difficult time.

TDP: What are some of the biggest obstacles you've overcome, or the most tragic event. what did you learn from it?

RB: Probably the Rector Fire. I can still remember it like it was yesterday, how scared I was that Sunday morning when I heard all those sirens. Gwen and I were in church and you could hear all the sirens and then you realize, "Hey." We go to St. Andrew's, which is like almost on the campus, and we began to perceive that maybe they were stopping on campus. To walk out and see all the smoke. Bill Nugent, who was the fire chief, did an exceptional job that day. I went right up to him during the fire and I said, "Did everybody get out?" and at that point, they didn't know. And so you're just scared to death. It's Sunday morning and it's the worst time in the world you can have a fire. ... I think I learned the importance of teamwork and the way the college came together. We had a real housing shortage and the town helped with that.

Also, the Delta Zeta incident was tough. We didn't have any control over what the writer from the New York Times wrote. It was inaccurate, but all of a sudden you wake up and there you are on the front page of the New York Times. I was in Florida at the time. Sunday morning we walked to get a New York Times and a Sarasota paper, and not only were we on the front page of the New York Times, but we're on the front page of the Sarasota Times. So people picked it up all over the country, and I thought it was a misrepresentation of DePauw, and I thought it hurt the image of the University.

TDP: What do you consider the highlight of your presidency?

RB: I think the progress we've made in terms of making this a more internationally diverse community. I just think that's fundamental. I just don't think we learn much from people who are just like us. And 25 years ago we all pretty much looked alike — faculty, staff and students. ... That's probably one of the most important things I've done. Anybody could have built buildings.

TDP: Do you have any regrets?

RB: I really don't know that we, as a community, have taken advantage of the many voices in our community. Some of the times when I feel best about where we've come is when you begin to see international students and underrepresented students perform in plays, play in the symphony, sing in the choir, work on the paper. Then you begin to think, "Hey this is really working. It happened."

TDP: Where do you think your career would have gone had you not come to DePauw?

RB: I don't know. I had a very good experience at Vanderbilt as a student, and I loved working there, but I had grown to realize that I didn't like working in a large university. So if I had not come here I probably would have gone, to another, compared to a Vanderbilt, small liberal arts college.