Editor’s Note – As this issue of Echoes was going to press, President Samuel Hulbert announced his plans to retire as president of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. We have been able to include this announcement and a letter from the president on this page. Future issues of Echoes will include a more in-depth review of the Hulbert era and ongoing updates of the transition to a new president.

Samuel Hulbert, the longest serving president in the history of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, has announced that he will retire on June 30, 2004. During Hulbert's tenure, Rose-Hulman has emerged as a national leader in undergraduate engineering, mathematics and science education.

"I have asked the Board of Trustees to begin the process to search for a new president," Hulbert said. "While it is a sad and emotional decision for me, I know it is a decision that is the best for me, my family and Rose-Hulman."

"I love this institution and everyone associated with the college. It has been a privilege to have served as its president. I know that Rose-Hulman will continue to move closer to its vision to be the best because of the quality and dedication of its people. Rose-Hulman exists for only one thing, its students, and I know that philosophy will never change," he stated.

Hulbert became the 11th president of Rose-Hulman in 1976. He has the longest tenure of the current presidents at the 17 private engineering colleges that are members of the Association of Independent Technological Universities. Those schools include MIT, Cal Tech, Carnegie Mellon, Harvey Mudd and Rennselaer Polytechnic, Worchester Polytechnic and Illinois Institute of Technology. He has the second-longest tenure of any current Indiana college or university president.

Rose-Hulman Board of Trustees Chairman Clyde Willian described Hulbert as one of higher education's most successful and admired leaders. "Very few college presidents have led an institution to the successes that Rose-Hulman has accomplished during Sam Hulbert's dynamic leadership."

"It is difficult to adequately express the gratitude that the trustees have for the outstanding contributions that he has made to the development of Rose-Hulman," he commented.

Willian said the process to begin a national search to replace Hulbert has begun. He believes Hulbert's legacy will have a positive impact on the selection of the next Rose-Hulman president.

"His leadership has resulted in Rose-Hulman earning a national reputation as an education leader which will attract excellent candidates," Willian noted.

Among the major accomplishments during Hulbert's 27 years as president are:

• The college's change to coeducational status in 1995.
   

• Rose-Hulman has earned a national reputation for academic leadership because of its curricular innovations using laptop computers, its project-based education and its national ranking by engineering deans for four consecutive years as the nation's best college that offers the bachelor's or master's degree as its top degree in engineering.
   

• Enrollment has doubled while the college continued to attract academically talented students. The number of faculty has also doubled to 140 which has made it possible to maintain Rose-Hulman's student/faculty ratio at 13 to 1.
   

• The largest fund-raising program in the college's history has surpassed its goal 18 months ahead of schedule. The $200 million Vision to be the Best campaign has raised $230 million. The campaign will conclude June 2004.
   

• New degree programs have been created in applied biology, computer engineering, optical engineering and engineering management. A new Department of Applied Biology and Biomedical Engineering has also been established.
   

• Rose-Hulman Ventures was created through a $29.7 million grant from the Lilly Endowment. The grant, the largest gift in Rose-Hulman's history, is making it possible for students to receive unique career-related, educational opportunities while providing important economic development services to Indiana businesses.
   

• During the past six years, $90 million in academic and student services facilities have been built or are planned.
   

• Rose-Hulman's student retention and graduation rates are among the best of any private engineering college or university in the nation.

Hulbert came to Rose-Hulman after serving as dean of the School of Engineering and professor of bioengineering at Tulane University. Hulbert has received numerous international honors for his educational leadership and contributions to the field of biomaterials. He has received honorary degrees from Clarkson and Indiana State universities. A native of Adams Center, N.Y., he received the bachelor of science and the Ph.D. degrees in ceramic science from Alfred University.

The following editorial was printed in the March 6, 2003, issue of the Terre Haute Tribune-Star. It is reprinted here with permission.