University of Tampa - Moroccan Yearbook (Tampa, FL)

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Inauguration On Thursday, (he 28th ul September 1978 at 3 p.m. Ihe University ol Tampa inaugurated its seventh president. Or. Richard D. Cheshire. Or. Cheshire was horn August 12. 1936, in Mineola, long Island toleslie and Catherine Cheshire. During his high school years he became president ol his senior 11ass, a three year trac k jod field lettermjn, c apt jin ol the (ross country tejm jnda member ol the recordbreaking 1954 medley turn. In 1954 Cheshire received the National Alumni War Memory Scholarship lor his undergraduate studies at Colgate University. During his (our years at Colgate, Cheshire became a member ol 8hi (.amma Delta. was elec led president ol the leac bet's form and was captain ol the varsity track and field team. Cheshire graduated Irom ( olgate in 1958 with an A.B. degree. While working on his M.A. in education at Ihe University of New Hampshire, Cheshire married his high school sweetheart, Roberta Ann leans. After receiving his Ph.D. from New York University, Cheshire taught Am eric an history at Chatham High School in New jersey. Alter teaching at Chatham lor one year, Cheshire relumed to Colgate as Assistant to the Vice President. He then moved to Dickinson College j Direc tor ol Development. In 1967 Drew University made Cheshire Direr tor ol Community Relations. It was during this lime that Cheshire gained his reputation lor r perlite in university planning, funding, and community relations. In 1972 a financially unsound group called the New jersey Shakespeare festival elected Cheshire as their president. Although Cheshire hjd no previous theatre bac kground. he was successful in developing a program that pul the group in the black lor the lirst lime in years, today the New jersey Shakespeare festival is one of the premier groups in the northeast. In 1973 Colgate put Cheshire in c barge ol a live year S10 million lurid raising c ampaign. fhe multi-million dollar campaign goal was made five weeks helore the deadline. In Oc tuber 1977 Cheshire ac c epted the position ol president ol the University ol Tampa. Ihe new position, climate, and environment made a most significant change in Cheshire's lile. Dr. Cheshire feels that the presidency is more of a life than j job because it demands so muc h. But Roberta and I enjoy Ihe rewarding aspects and most ol all the people ol Ihe university and Ihe c ommunity. I think the dynamics of the university and Tampa Bay gives this area great potential As president, Cheshire is striving to inc orporate a program that will plac e students as partners in student life rather than spectators. Cheshire refers to this active participation in the learning program as “partnership learning. Cheshire believes that lampa is bee oming one of the most dynamic areas in Ihe c ountry and that Ul should he part of this trend. He is positive that UT can become Ihe top choice of higher learning and serve as a talent bank for lampa and other areas. 29