PrintSeptember 24, 2007
Bollinger's bosses: Who are the Columbia trustees?
The Trustees of Columbia University hired and evaluate the performance of President Lee Bollinger. The New York Sun assigns them a large measure of blame for a history of failure in monitoring and evaluating the leadership of Columbia University, culminating in the travesty of the visit of Iranian "President" Ahmadinajed to the campus today, just two days after Yom Kippur, the holiest day for the Jewish community. Here is a list of the Trustees.
One prominent member is Eric Holder, who was appointed to serve as the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia by President Clinton. Then Clinton appointed him as the Deputy Attorney General. One would have hoped that a lawyer would have objected to the appearance by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad considering that his regime has violated any number of international laws and is a serial abuser of human rights, let alone that he heads of the number one terror-sponsoring state in the world and played a role in the illegal taking of American hostages in 1979. Other trustees are also attorneys: Ellen Kaden, Gerry Lenfest, Jose Cabranes, Esta Stecher and Stephen Case. Altogether, lawyers account for one fourth of the 24 member board.
Others are investors. Patricia Cloherty, for example, who leads international investment ventures that specialize in lesser-developed nations. Someone in such a position might be to rapprochement with the Iranian regime amenable for commercial purposes. Cloherty, by the way, worked with Apax Partners (formerly Patricof & Company ventures). Those in the know may recall that Patricof served as the chief fundraiser for Bill Clinton, and was the Finance Chairman of Hillary Clinton's Senate campaign. He still is a major fundraiser for Hillary and has close ties with her.
Esta Stecher is an attorney who serves the general counsel of Goldman Sachs, a firm that would also naturally be inclined to a rapprochement with Iran so as to open investment opportunities to that nation. Currently, such a possibility is restricted by laws passed by Congress, but a warming of relations could potentially change that restriction.
Savio Tung is the Managing Director of Investcorp International, where he oversees the firm's GLOBAL technology and investment activities. Signifcantly, the company recently launched a billion-dollar line of business geared towards investment opportunties in the Persian Gulf! Investcorp was founded by Bahrain as a way to invest their oil wealth. Bahrain, by the way, is majority Shiite and lies just across the Gulf from Iran.
Richard Witten is the Senior Managing Director of yet another investment and advisory firm.
Given the globalization of investment opportunities, all these heads of investment groups would seek to reach out to Iran, and would be likely to oppose all sanctions on investments such as those which are currently in place regarding Iran.
Joan Edelman Spero served at the United Nations and would likely advocate, as internationalist are wont to do, relationship building-even with tyrants. One would have hoped for more from Faye Wattleton, who is the president of the Center for the Advancement of Women, a research, education and advocacy think tank to advance woman's equality and full participation in society. When one considers Iranian oppression of women and denial of basic human rights to them, one would have hoped that Ms. Wattleton would have voiced objection for the imprimatur of respect granted to Ahmadinajed.
The Board of Trustees has failed in its obligation to preserve and protect Columbia University's reputation. The attorney's and women's rights activists that populate the Board have failed to follow their own principles. The investors who fill much of the rest of the board are merely following the money, trying to enhance their own wealth at the expense of Columbia's reputation.
Ed Lasky is news editor of American Thinker.
Ed Lasky is news editor of American Thinker.
