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Related Link: Office of the Governor Related Link: IU School of Business
By George Vlahakis
The Indiana University School of Business announced this week that Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh will become the Harold A. "Red" Poling Chair of Business and Government at IU, following completion of his term in January.
The Poling Chair was established in 1993 by the former chairman and chief executive officer of Ford Motor Co. to enable the School of Business to attract, as visiting faculty, individuals with notable real-world experience at the most senior levels of government.
Bayh will be the second occupant of the Poling Chair. Sam Skinner, who served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation before being named chief of staff to President George Bush, has held the chair since September 1995 and will complete his term in January. Skinner also is now president of Commonwealth Edison in Chicago.
Bayh, who is completing his second term as Indiana governor, received a bachelor's degree in business economics from IU in 1978, before earning a law degree from the University of Virginia in 1981.
In accepting the appointment, Gov. Bayh said, "I am extremely honored to return to my alma mater as the Poling Chair of Business and Government, and I look forward to sharing my experience in public service with new generations of Hoosiers and IU students.
"As Poling Chair, I hope to continue the fine tradition started by Secretary Skinner and help enhance the educational opportunities at IU as we move into the next century."
Speaking on behalf of the school, IU Business Dean John Rau said, "I am delighted that Gov. Bayh has accepted the position of the Harold A. 'Red' Poling Chair here at the School of Business. There is no better example of the ideals of vision, integrity and creative public service that Red had in mind when he endowed this chair."
Rau said that Bayh will conduct several guest lectures for students, facilitate faculty seminars, counsel with program leaders on curricula related to these topics and serve as an ex-officio member of the Dean's Council of Chief Executives.
IU President Myles Brand, speaking of the appointment, said, "Gov. Bayh brings to our classrooms a unique opportunity for our students to learn from the practical knowledge he gained while serving as chief executive officer of our state. The insights he gained in dealing with problems of broad economic and social consequence provide a rich resource for a productive educational experience."
While exact dates have not been scheduled for Bayh's appointment, the Poling Chair typically involves two or three separate multi-day campus sessions. The Poling Chair carries a modest stipend provided totally from the fund donated by Poling.